Spark Of Rebellion: Fire and Snow
by Caefer-Chief
Summary: Following on from Spark Of Rebellion: 55th Hunger Games. Following the 55th Hunger Games' bloody and tragic end, President Snow forces our Phoenix to repent for the actions taken in the Games, but our Phoenix has other ideas. (Summary written extremely vague to avoid spoilers from last story)
1. A Normal Day

**A/N: WARNING, this story is a follow on from Spark Of Rebellion: 55th Hunger Games, and I greatly ****recommend you read that before hand in order to understand the story and to also avoid any spoilers from the last story.**

**Well this is it, part 2 of the trilogy, have a nice day all :D**

* * *

_I sprint through the forest, crossbow held down by my waist as I leap across the falling trees covered in scorching flames. I duck under a burning log and leap over a ball of fire. The roar echoes from behind me. I glance backwards to find the Lizards running after my as fast as their legs can propel them. I couldn't stop, the man in front of me was running quicker than I and I knew I needed to catch him. He turned sharply, I followed in suit and fired into the fire.I heard him scream as he crashed to the floor. I sprint around the wall of flames and find him laying on his back, a bolt had broken straight through his femur and he was bleeding badly._

_"You can't kill me, boy." The man says. I know his face, I see it in my dreams every night. Snow. I chuckle and walk over to his right hand side. Loading a crossbow bolt I aim it at his forehead. The Lizards crowd around us, roaring in anticipation as I run my finger against the smooth wood of the crossbow's trigger. I smile, gently taking up the first stage of the trigger, then adding the slightest amount of pressure to cause the mechanisms to release the bolt. It flies through the air and just before it makes contact I head a voice call my name._

* * *

My eyes slowly open as the orange sky fills my room with it's glow. Kate sits at the edge of the bed, smiling as my vision clears and I rise from the dark green bedding.

"I thought I'd wake you before the nightmares kicked you out." She says, placing her hand gently on my calf. I smile back at her and bring myself forward so I'm only inches away from her beautiful face. She plants a kiss on my lips and I kiss back, her warmth spreads through me and as she pulls away I find myself wanting more, but now isn't the time, I hear Callum's footsteps approaching the door. He opens the door and gives a small chuckle and his cheeks blush.

"Sorry 'bout that, my brother." He says looking down at his feet. I chuckle and climb out of my bed. He may not actually be my brother, but since I lost my other brothers to the Games he's felt like the closest I've got to one, and after last year's Games I don't think he'd see me as anything but a brother. "But your tea's ready down stairs, ya sleep well?"

"For once I did." I reply, pulling my mask over my body and placing my glasses on. Kate wraps her arms around the back of my neck and rests her head on my shoulder. I lightly tickle her arm as he sinks into my back. I feel bad for this, there stands Callum, watching mine and Kate's relationship blossom, whilst the love of his life was taken less than six months ago.

"What did you dream about, babe?" Kate asks, planting a kiss firmly in the centre of my cheek. I chuckle to myself and they both know exactly what it was. "It was Snow again wasn't it?"

"I caught him this time." I say with a dark grin. Maybe this means means I'm finally starting to let go of everything that happened in the arena? Maybe this means I can finally sleep through the night without images of fire and blood consuming my vision. Or maybe it means I won't truly be free until I live out my dreams and implant a bolt straight into Snow's skull. Kate releases me and I pull on my Tribute clothes, same as I do every day.

"What are you planning on doing today?" Kate asks, when I look around I see that Callum has already made his way downstairs but it's glad to see that Kate is still with me, I grab my weapons that lay on the dresser. I watch myself in the mirror as I pull them over my shoulders.

"I'm sparing with Blight." I start as I pick up Ludo's helmet and inspect it. Ludo... I'd put my hate with him as high as Snow's, but I have some form of respect for Ludo. He wanted to prove to his father, who I will be forced to meet in the Tour in a month, that he was fit to lead his District. On the other hands, the only respect I have for Snow is the same respect that I show a wolf. Sly, cunning, and utterly deadly. "He's been in need of a distraction."

"He's not recovered from the last Games either?" She asks, even though I hate it when she says either I know she's right. I've refused all help for what the doctor's call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I've had this for sometime though, it's why I went into my broken self before the Games and even though I have improved, I'm still not out of the woods yet. A fitting statement being as I'm living in a woods. "You both know what happened with Claire wasn't your fault, right babe?"

"It was." I snap, grasping to the dresser till my knuckles go white. Kate has been very patient with these past few months considering how I have a habit of losing myself to anger. So far I haven't lost control but I've come close many a time. Even thought I sometimes lose myself, Kate knows that I would not be able to cope without her. I sigh and look down, taking a few deep breathes to calm myself. I turn to her and I see her just watch me with pity in her eyes. "I'm sorry, darling."

"You don't have to apologise." She replies, rising from our bed and kissing me on the cheek. I wrap my arms softly around her and she presses her body against mine. Truly this is bliss. I hold her for what seems like forever, even though I know it's only a few minutes. The gives me a small smile. "Go downstairs, I'll be there now, babe."

* * *

Callum sits opposite me. Blight had taught him how to make those Full English breakfasts that he loves so much, and considering the amount of food we have in the house I really don't need for food anymore. This also means I haven't been hunting in what seems like an eternity. I much on the boar meat and quickly finish up what's left of the food on the plate.

"I'll wash up." Callum says with a small smile. I can clearly spot his ivory ring glistening in the morning sun. He'll never take that ring off, and just like me, I don't think he'll ever move on from Claire.

"Thanks." I reply quickly and rush out of the door. Me and Callum don't feel as close since the Games, which is rather ironic considering we now live together and I see him everyday, but every time we see each others faces we both think of Claire. It's odd how quiet it is in the house, even on the busiest of day's is always has an eerie silence to it. I cross the street to Blight's house, I thought it was suiting for me to choose the house opposite so if we needed each other we'd be there. Which I have in the past, before Kate and Callum moved in Blight would be running over to my house every night to find me stabbing something with my sword, thinking it was Ludo, or crying in the corner believing that Claire spoke to me in my sleep. I rush through his doors without knocking, his house is identical to mine except for small changes, different painting, ornaments, all the little things. He walks around from his basement.

"Bit early, aren't we Mummy?" He asks with a small smile. He had only started calling me that again after we got back from the Games, maybe as a way to break through the barrier i had established after the nightmares started returning. I shrug his comment off and sit on his dark green settee, with it's deep brown wooden frame. "I wasn't expecting you for another hour."

"I needed some space from the others." I say, removing my sunglasses and placing them on the small coffee table that rests between the furniture and the TV. On the coffee table lies a small picture of a middle aged woman, Blight's mentor, who had died of an illness while he was in the Games with me. So easily she could have taught me and I feel ashamed to think that he was too distracted with me to say his last goodbyes to her. I know I'm being dramatic, but after a life time of not showing emotion I don't think anyone can blame me. "When do you want to start?" I ask, pointing at the weapons that are attached to my back. Blight smiles and motions towards the basement.

"Remember to put the caps on." He instructs, tossing the axe and sword shaped sheathes to me. These caps as we call them are plastic covers, that fit over our weapons so we can hit each other without causing any serious damage. His basement and mine differ greatly. Where as mine is used only by Callum, as he wanted that to be his bedroom considering he wasn't using it. Blight's is a deep brown room, just like the furniture, with thick green carpets to act as padding. An array of blue plastic weapons hang upon the wall, this is what he spent most his time doing when he and his mentor were the only Victors here, now it has reversed, and he is the mentor. "You ready, Mummy?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." I reply with a small smile, which I know he can't see. Blight pulls a two handed axe from the wall and swings it at me, I duck underneath and jab with my sword. He anticipates the move for before I can even stop the stab he had already dodged and started to bring his axe back around. I bring my sword to my right and catch the axe, I slide my tomahawk from the left and into Blight's right armpit. He freezes, registers the impact, then sighs. "What makes that?"

"Five to two in the past month." Blight replies with a raised eyebrow. I chuckle and place the weapons back onto my back. Sparring with Blight normally takes my mind off everything, and even thought it reminds of me of my fight with Ludo it's good to remember what made you.

"Glad to see I'm not losing it." I reply, Blight smirks and I instantly know what he's thinking. I may not be losing my touch in combat but I'm losing it mentally. Or at least I was, at the moment I'd consider myself in a stable situation of completely unstable, not getting any better yet not getting any worse.


	2. Hunter In Bandages

I exit the door from Blight's house and shut it behind me. It clicks into place as I gently turn the golden knob on the door. The orange sky burns like fire as the sun sets on the horizon. The light rolls through the valleys and forests with such grace that it take my breath away. I can't help but stop and stare for a moment, hypnotised by the beauty that fills the sky. Only when the sky starts to morph into images of hellfire and death do I snap out of my trance and make my way across the path to my house. The door is never locked, so I simply walk in and shut the door behind me. The winter is nearly upon us and already the air is starting to get as cold as when I was in the arena. I walk into the dining area and find Kate sitting on the chair, running her hands along a crossbow bolt.

"When was the last time you fired this, babe?" She asks without turning to face me, instead she runs her hands along the head of the bolt and stares at it as if it's about to end her life. I stop and lean against the wall, processing the situation and trying to retort with a witty remark.

"Not since the night you tried to bed me." I reply, even though she's trying to uphold her serious posture, I can clearly spot the small smirk that spreads across her face like wildfire. Fire. I really need to stop thinking about fire.

"So, last time you fired was back in..." She places the bolt down and turns to face me. I know she's implying the Games, but I'm glad to see that she's choosing her words carefully, I have been known to lose all sense of myself after certain words are mentioned. I shake my head, slowly walk over and pull up a seat next to the love of my life. She smiles sweetly at me and removes me glasses and mask. I smile back, less than a year ago I would never have removed my mask in front of her, now look at us. "Maybe you should go hunting, I've heard there's wolf problem the Peacekeepers aren't dealing with."

"Wolf problem?" I ask, even though I'm having flashbacks of the hounds that pinned me down in the arena I can't help but feel interested. Wolves are a rare appearance in District 7, and when they appear it normally means someone is going to meet a slow and painful end. Kate's eyes seem to brighten slightly at my show on interest.

"Yes!" She exclaims in excitement. I knew she was attracted to my hunting side but I didn't realise she liked it this much. "The Butcher has asked me to ask you to deal with 'em."

"Do they know how many there are?" I ask, I can feel my brow frowning slightly, this normally happens when I'm asking questions. Until my skin was fixed by the Capitol I didn't even realise that this happened. Kate smiles lightly, we haven't spoken about me hunting in so long I think she's glad that my old loves are resurfacing.

"About... six? I think." She says scratching her chin, I don't expect her to recall everything the Butcher said, but I think she's enjoying my interest more than I am. She snaps out her trance, looks into my eyes and smiles. "But that doesn't matter." She turns in her chair so her body is facing me.

"Would help me if-"

"Shh..." She whispers, placing a single finger on my lips. I frown in confusion slightly.

"Callum's not going to be back till late tonight." She runs her finger down my neck and to my hands. Grasping it and leading me up the wooden stair case. She's quite spontaneous when it comes to this, and I honestly can't complain! "Let me show you a good time, babe."

* * *

I awake with with a smile on my face. Kate lays naked on my chest with my arm rested on her back. I can't help but enjoy this moment, the sun rising and the beams slicing through the window and lighting our room. She stirs in my arms, raises her head from my chest and smiles.

"Morning, babe." She whispers, running her hands through my hair. I smile back. This wasn't our first time but something about Kate makes every time feel special.

"Good morning, darling." She kisses my chest and moves herself further up my body so her face in inches from mine. "Sleep well?" I ask, she chuckles to herself and slowly kisses my neck as she wraps her arms around my shoulders.

"Not very." She says with a small smile and plants a kiss on my lips. I laugh quietly as we sink back into the dark green covers and she brings her leg over my hips. Suddenly a knock sounds on the door.

"You awake?" A voice comes from behind the door. Kate lets out a small scream and jumps off me and to the side. Pulling the blanket off me and over her so she's completely covered from the shoulders down. I grasp the bed, my eyes dart around the room to find something to wear. Quick as a cat I grab my mask and glasses, slide them over my body, then slip into my boxers and trousers. I throw my top to Kate who slides it over her body gracefully. I walk to the door, grab the handle, shoot Kate a look which she nods in reply. I open the door and find Blight standing in front of me.

"Bit early isn't it, Blight?" I ask with confusion, the fact that my top is off doesn't seem to bother him, but when he spots Kate in my bed I can clearly see him try and avoid staring. I know he means nothing by it, and as such I let it slide.

"Aye it is early." He agrees with a stern look on his face. "But we need to talk."

I sit at my table, Callum to my left and Kate to my left as Blight pulls up a chair and sits opposite me with a fresh cup of tea in his hands. I can tell by how rigid his shoulders are that he's nervous, I've never seen him in this state before, not even when President Snow was giving us the evils from across the ball room five months ago.

"I don't think Callum and Kate will want to hear this." He says, staring into his cup.

"Why not?" Callum asks defensively.

"Because I said so." Blight snaps back, I rest a hand on Callum's shoulder and give him a quick nod. He rolls his eyes and stands, Kate follows suite in silence, which is most likely best right now. "Go make yourself useful in the village." He orders and the two leave the room with a slam of the front door behind them.

"You wouldn't act like that unless something was seriously wrong." I say with a concerned look, even though he still can't see my face.

"Would you like to put a top on?" He asks, with a small chuckle. I shake my head.

"I'll be fine like this." I reply honestly, grasping my hands together and leaning forward so that I'm rested on my elbows. "Now tell me, what's wrong?" He sighs, takes a sip of his tea, then looks up to me.

"I've received word from Snow." That name makes me freeze in place. I take my glasses off, lay them to the side of my hand and stare Blight straight in the eyes.

"Go on." I say. Blight laughs to himself, a gesture often used by people when they really know that they're in the shit.

"There's a conspiracy going on in the Capitol." Blight says staring into my eyes. "And he wants you to stop it." His words catch me off guard and I just stare blankly at him. I'm not sure what's shocked me more, that some idiot in the Capitol is going up against Snow, or that I'm being contracted to stop it.

"Why me?" I ask.

"I can answer that." A familiar voice comes from behind me. Blight freezes in place and I know exactly who it is even before I turn my body to face him.

"President Snow." I say coldly. Snow smiles at me lightly, then passes me a black top which I quickly place over my head. He walks over to the end of the table.

"May i sit?" He asks politely. I gesture to the seat. "Thank you for your hospitality dear boy."

"Pleasure is all mine." I reply after steadying my nerves. The initial shock of his appearance wore off quickly and I know that right now I have a job to do. This feels like the Games all over again. "What is the problem then, sir?"

"Sir?" Snow repeats and laughs to himself. "My boy, if we are to work together, you need to drop this sir act, I know you dislike so just be honest and show me the disrespect I have so happily earned from you." His reply surprises both me and Blight who just shoot each other worrying looks.

"You still haven't answered the question." Blight adds, Snow glares at him with his venomous eyes.

"You, boy, you still have to call me sir. We'll be speaking a lot in public." Snow stares at Blight, who lowers his gaze and apologises under his breath. "Now, as Blight has told you, there's a plot in the Capitol."

"What is the plot?" I ask. Snow withdraws a small device and places it on the table. It lights up and a hologram appears above the small device. A list of names float in front of Snow's face. He stands from his chair, closes the curtain so that we can clearly see the hologram then points to the names.

"These people, are all the previous victors." He says, their names turn into pictures, he places his finger on the images and slides his finger down. Letting the faces that were once there switch into many different people. "An outside party has been looking for information on me. One of these people has leaked this information and must be terminated."

"An outside party, sir?" Blight asks.

"That's none of your concern." Snow replies coldly.

"Is it mine?" I ask.

"No." He replies again. I frown slightly.

"What makes you think we'd want to terminate other victors?" I ask, Snow laughs and walks over to me, resting a hand on my shoulder, I can feel the ice inside his soul spread through my body. It seems like the exact opposite effect Kate has on me. Where as her touch fills me with a fiery passion, this fills me with a frozen dread.

"Because you have no choice." He whispers in a death-like tone. Suddenly the picture turns to that of a cross-hair and in it are Kate and Callum talking to the Butcher. I tense instantly, knowing that there's no way that I can say no. "And because the Victors only trust other Victors, and with good reason."

"I didn't spend much time with them last year, sir." Blight says with a frown. Snow moves away from me and back to the hologram, but the cold on my shoulder is still pulsing intensely. "Can you narrow the list down?"

"We have eliminated the ideas of anyone from your Career Districts, and of course District 7." Snow says. That means we have Nine Districts to get through, surely there can't be that many Victors from anywhere outside of a Career District? The Careers win nearly every year and I only won due to luck and my need to survive in my early years. "But this person is sly, very sly, if not for their allegiances I would have recruited them."

"Still, why do you need me?" I ask, the question makes Snow frown, I know why he needs me but why not choose Blight? "Why do you need me to terminate this person?" I ask. Snow chuckles, sitting back down at the table. He presses a few buttons on the small device and the hologram changes to me fighting with Ludo. This is different though, it's a projection of just me and Ludo fighting. The two blue figures dance in front of us, spinning, twisting and stabbing as if I wasn't there.

"Because you are a born killer." He pointing to the two holograms. Ludo is on his knees. I bring my sword down on his neck and as it makes contact the hologram shuts off. Snow stands, moves to the window and opens the curtains. "And right now, that's what we need."

"What you need." I reply. Blight frowns at me and I can feel Snow's gaze fall upon me like two daggers in my back. His footsteps become louder and he leans against the table.

"Exactly, what I need." He says. I bring my eyes to meet his and for what seems like an eternity we glare into each others souls. "I will leave the hologram in you're care, Blight. Obviously you have the most sense here." He says not breaking my gaze.

"Thank you, sir." Blight replies, but I can tell in his voice that he's struggling to keep a level head.

"And I'm sorry for the loss of your mentor." Snow says, with no such kindness in his tone. He breaks my gaze, walks out of the door and by the time I have reached the window, Snow has vanished. Blight lets out a long drawn sigh and I hear a strange thud sound behind me. I turn to see Blight resting his forehead on the table. His dark brown hair clearly unorganised from where he had run his stress filled hands through them. I sit opposite Blight again and wait for him to compose himself. It takes a few moments but with on last sigh he lifts his head from the table.

"I didn't see that one coming." He admits.

"You think?" I ask jokingly. We both laugh quietly to ourselves, but it soon builds to what must sound like hysterical laughter from anyone not in the room. "We're so fucked."

"I know." He replies, his face half full of fear and the other half full of laughter. This is a common thing it seems. When shit hits the fan we burst out laughing. I compose myself, stand, and make my way to the counter where I prepare a cups of tea for the both of us. Blight comes over to me and leans against the counter while we wait for the kettle to boil. "We can do this."

"I suppose we had best start looking at all the names?" I ask. The kettle makes a loud whistle, I take two cups out from beneath the counter. Withdraw two tea bags, milk and sugar from the cupboard above and finish making our beverages. We then move over to the table. Sitting on either side of the holographic device. Blight presses a button and the names appear.

"Are they backwards to you?" He asks with a confused face.

"No they're the right way for me, maybe you-"

"No they're the right way for me too." He says with a frown across his forehead. "Odd how they got that to work."

"I don't think it matters right now." I reply, taking a sip of my tea.

"You're right." Blight says, he moves his finger along the list and down to the bottom. "Work our way up?" He asks. I nod, it doesn't really matter to me which way we work as long as we get this done and don't get everyone we love killed in the process. "First up... Haymitch Abernathy."

"The boy from District 12? Winner of the Quarter Quell?" I ask. He nods in reply. I scan the boys face. His stubble, his medium length dark hair and the bags under his eyes. I know a lot of Victors turn to drinking to stop the nightmares, I tried it once but it never worked for me, but this guy has really cut the mustard when it comes to being a full-time drunk. Speaking of which, how come he has stubble? I haven't had to shave since the arena. "I can't see it being him."

"Neither can I." Blight replies, looking through the hologram and to me. "Maybe that's why he's pretending to be a drunk." Obviously Blight noticed the obvious signs of this Victor's drinking problem.

"I'm not sure." I reply, standing up and finishing my tea, I turn and look out of my window. Clouds are building over the mountains and I can tell that it won't be long before the true cold of winter hits and the District will be covered in a thick layer of snow. "I mean, have you recovered from your Games yet?" I ask, turning to face him as I rest against the windowsill. The questions catches Blight off guard and he fold his arms. "Honestly."

"No." He admits, letting out a long drawn sigh and shaking his head back and forth.

"Then I doubt he has either." I say, moving back towards the table. "So I think we'll be looking for one of the older Tributes."

"From closer to the rebellion, maybe there's still remnants fifty years on?" Blight asks, mainly to himself. "That means we're looking for a Tributes with family that clearly took part in the rebellion. All of the Victors are too old to have participated in the rebellion itself."

"An officer in the rebellion?" I ask myself. "I doubt it would have been a soldiers child."

"Or maybe a soldiers child who died." Blight adds, taking a gulp of tea from his mug. The thought sends a chill down my spine. Would I be killing a person who, just like me, lost his or her parents? I push the thoughts out of my mind, now isn't the time.

"Could have been." I sigh. "Shall we continue this another time? The Butcher wants to see me." Blight presses a larger button and the hologram disappears. He smiles, proud that he managed to work the device out, then places it in the pocket of his jacket.

"We can continue this in the evening, if you want." Blight says, making his way to the door. I stand with him as he opens it and the soothing cool air flows through my house like a ghost through a graveyard. I nod to him, he gives me a small smile and exits my house, shutting the door gently behind him. I stop, my knees start to wobble and I collapse to the floor on all fours, gasping deeply.


	3. Predator

It's an hour after Blight left that I finally manage to straighten myself out. I pull a black jacket over the clothes that I'm already wearing, place on my leather boots that I wore in the arena and exit the house. Callum and Kate can't know that Snow was in the house. They can't know what danger that they're really in.

It takes me about fifteen minutes to reach the village. I spot Kate in the Butchers', sitting across the counter and talking to the man as he chops up the deep red meat in his hands. I take a deep breath in, sigh loudly, then make my way into the Butchers'. He smiles at me.

"Ahhh! Good morning!" The man bellows with a small that spreads across his face, making his moustache curl slightly upwards. Kate turns in her chair and her face lights up. Even though I feel numb through my body, her face seems to kindle what fire is left struggling to stay alight in my soul. I sit on the red stool next to her and rest my elbows on the counter. "I was just speaking with your young lass here about the wolves."

"What do you need done?" I ask, looking up from my hands. Before the Games this was quite common, I'd discuss with the Butcher about game that had been spotted throughout the District, then he'd hire me to go retrieve the meat. "Any specials?"

"Clean muscle." The Butcher replies, swinging his cleaver down with such force that it slices through the deer leg without a crack, straight through the bone without a sound. Kate gives me a small frown.

"Specials?" She asks. The Butcher hangs the leg above the oven behind him and turns back to us. I don't expect to know the terminology that me and the Butcher use.

"How I want the beast killed." The Butcher answers, withdrawing another pieces of flesh from a small wooden crate beneath him. This time it looks far more like bird meat, crow? Chicken? I don't know, I never really asked. "Sometimes an animal's meat could be spoiled if it dies in a certain way." He withdraws a small knife and slices thin strips of meat off the carcass. "None of my other hunters were ever as good as he was though."

"There were others?" Kate asks nearly shocked. I thought it was common knowledge that there was a few of us hunting for the Butcher. I worked with some of them on times, good guys, talked a bit too much for my liking though. "Who were they?"

"John Mason and William Fall were the only two I ever worked with." I chuckle to myself. I hunted at least once a week since my parents passed and out of all that time we barely hunted together. "Both are eighteen, I think Mason's got a little girl now though, hasn't he?" I ask looking back up to the Butcher. He nods in reply.

"Maybe you should ask them to work with them." Kate suggests, I look to her, pull up my mask and giver her a quick kiss. The Butcher smiles.

"I never would have thought I'd see you with a girl." He says with a small chuckle. Kate drops her eyes down to her hands, cheeks blushing ever so slightly. I pull off the mask and glasses then smile at the Butcher. He inspects my face with a smile beaming across his face like the morning sun over the mountains. "And I never thought I'd see your face."

"No one did." I reply, giving him a small smile. I turn my matters back to the wolves that need sorting. "So you want me to leave the meat on the legs and the back? Just to confirm." The Butcher smiles and nods as I speak.

"Yes, yes, yes." He places what's left of the small strips into a small brown paper bag and places slides it along the counter and to the edge. "Glad to see you remember."

"You know this may take a while." I reply, giving him a serious look. "It took me two months to deal with the last wolf pack, and my Tour is coming up soon."

"I can take your place for that." Kate volunteers with excitement in her voice. I shake my head, I'd prefer not to be worrying about her while I'm out trying to capture a spy. She sighs and rests her chin on her right hand like an impatient girl, I can't help but love the childishness she sometimes shows.

"Well, take your time." The Butcher rests a hand on mine. "I understand this may be difficult for you." Looks like my absence has been noted. The Butcher knows that hunting was my favourite and only pass time, so my sudden withdraw from it must be giving away that I don't seem to be coping too well with what happened in the Games. I smile to the Butcher, but he knows it's a fake smile. Place my mask and glasses on and leave the Butcher's without a word. I hear footsteps coming from behind me.

"Hey!" Kate shouts, grabbing my shoulder and spinning me around. I stare blankly into her eyes, although I know she can't see them. "What was that?" She asks, half concerned and half frustrated.

"Sorry." i say with a long drawn sigh. She folds her arms and stands in front of me, tapping her foot impatiently. "It's just the Tour." I say, even though I know it's a lie, and I hate lying to Kate. Her features soften and she wraps her arms around me.

"It'll be fine, let's go find the other two hunters, ai?" She suggests with a small smile. I smile back, just enough so that my mask moves slightly. The planets a kiss on my cheek, takes my hand and leads my into the centre of town.

* * *

It doesn't take long to find William. I motion for Kate to stop and watch as William shouts at the Peacekeeper.

"Look, lad!" He starts, his medium length black hair in a mess and he clearly hasn't had a shaved in about two weeks. "I don't care what District you were born in, but in this District a man is allowed to keep his food!" He shouts, takes a step back from the Peacekeeper and scratches his beard. "That's if he can find any actually."

"Sir, we understand you have a permit to use a bow, but that doesn't mean you can keep the cattle from District 10." The Peacekeeper grabs William by the scruff of his black shirt and pulls him towards the visor of his helmet. "And if we find out that you have been killing any escaped cattle again, I'll use that bow on you." The Peacekeeper threatens. William smiles, breathes onto the Peacekeepers black visor so it steams up, then draws a small smiling face with his finger. He then breaks free of the Peacekeepers grasp and takes a few steps backwards. The Peacekeeper moves forward and goes to place his hand on his baton.

"That's a fine shot!" I say, walking up to William and extending a hand. The Peacekeeper stops his motion, lowers his hand to his side and takes a step backwards. William looks at me, a big smile crosses his face across his face, and then grasps my forearm, I do the same.

"Aaaaahhhh! Seth!" He shouts, placing his free hand on my shoulder. "How have you been, lad? I haven't seen you since your feast!" The Peacekeeper shoots a look to me, instantly noticing who I am, he turns away and begins to sort the dead animal body that lies in front of the justice building. "Thanks for saving my wee arse, lad." He whispers. I chuckle in reply.

"It's fine." I reply release him from my grasp. "The Butcher needs us."

"Oh?" He asks, leaning back on his right leg and crossing his arms. He runs his tongue along the bottom of his lip. Fair play to him, even though he's a man of average height he looks like everything most of the girls that were in school want. The dark hair, he even has thick black hair on his arms. "If we're working together than it must be something a wee bit bigger than an elk."

"It's wolves." Kate adds, standing beside me and smiling at William, he eyes her up and down then turns his attention back to me.

"Your bird, lad?" He asks, I nod in reply and he gives an impressed look. William was a friend of my eldest brothers before he was reaped, so I can't ever get mad at him, even if we have only spoken a few times. Or he spoke, and I just nodded in reply. "I have to say I'm impressed, you were a lass every boy wanted to bed." Kate grips my hand and I know she wants to hit him. I softly make small circles above hand and I can tell by her grip softening that she's slowly calming down.

"You in?" i ask, he raises his eyebrows and extends his arms.

"Hunting wolves?" He asks whilst laughing. Then like a dash he's zipped off into a small house, much like the shack I used to live in, and comes out with his bow and quiver. "Of course! Ain't seen one of them beasts in a long time."

"I'll go find Callum." Kate quickly adds, sliding herself in front of me. "Meet me back at the house, babe?" She asks. I nod in reply, she smiles, quickly pulls up my mask and plants a kiss on my lips. Then jogs off to go find our friend.

"She's a piece that one." William says with a small smile. I nod in agreement. I snap out of my small trance when William punches my shoulder. "So, Greenlaw, we going to get Mason?" Greenlaw, Evergreen, I never decided whether I wanted to use my Mother or my Father's surname so I seem to switch between the two depending on the person.

"How'd you work that out? And why do you keep using my surname?" I ask, Williams laughs as we begin walking out of the main town and down to where John lives, a small collection of wooden bungalows which the lead climbers live in.

"Well, the past four times we've hunted together he's been with us."

"We've only hunted together four times."

"It's still the last four times, lad!" He replies and we both laugh together.

* * *

We walk and talk for about ten minutes before we reach John's house. He sits on the porch, holding a baby in his arms. He looks up from the child and inspects us both as we make our way up the small mud bank to where his home is. His eyes slowly switch between the two of us as he chews the stick in his mouth. Although he looks like a thug, with his extremely short black hair and his black stubble he's actually once of the nicest men I have ever had the pleasure to meet, even though last time we spoke I was still old me.

"Well, well." He says, giving his baby a small wooden horse to play with and laying it on the floor. "If it isn't the dynamic duo."

"Good to see ya, lad." Williams says, he extends a hand and John grabs his forearm. Me and him repeat the process and he smiles at me.

"Congratulations on winning the Games." He says, this is both of their last year in the Reaping and I know that they both are going to have a high chance of being in the pot considering how much extra food they take from the Capitol.

"Thanks." I reply sheepishly, I can tell by there faces that they both know I don't want to talk about my Games. "Who's the baby?" I ask, trying to change the subject. John looks at me and smiles for a second, the stick in his mouth shoots vertical as he walks back to the porch picking up the baby and bringing it back.

"This my little Johanna." He says bouncing the baby in his arm. She smiles a toothless smile and chews on the horses head. "So what do you need?" He asks, obviously he hasn't pieced together that we want him to help us hunt the wolves.

"There's a pack of wolves that need clearing out." I say. John laughs, calls his wife, runs the baby over to her then retrieves his bow, quiver and knife from in his bungalow. Giving his wife a kiss he jobs back over to us.

"When do we start?"

* * *

We move silently through the woods. My partners weren't happy that I had to run back home to grab my crossbow, sword and axe, but it did give me time to come up with a plan. The three of us come up to the cliff face with a fifteen metre cutting out of it. The actually gap is only three metres wide, so we can easily block it.

"We'll get into position." John says with a smile smile. The cliff face is only about twenty foot high, and being that John is a lead climber this should be easy for him. Where as William had far more trouble, being as his stubby fingers couldn't get a firm grip.

I smile and walk about five hundred yards into the forest. I don't want to be too close to my partners when I draw the attention of the pack, the idea of me being alone is what will draw them out, and wounded. I run my sword along the top of my left forearm and let the blood slowly seep onto the floor. Each droplet seeming to echo through the silent forest. I hadn't seen my blood in so long it seemed like reassurance that I'm still alive and this isn't all some well constructed hell I've died and come to. I close my eyes and listen carefully, the cold wind slithers in between the trees making the ferns on the floor rustle slightly. Then I hear them, the long paced steps of wolves slowly approaching. Each one attempting to make no sound, but each step the beasts takes causes a ripple effect through out the whole forest and I know that they're in the bushes in front of me. I turn and sprint back the way i came, allowlng the blood to still seep onto the floor, giving the impression I'm gravely wounded. Then the howls and growls chase after me and I hear them sprinting and bounding after me. It takes me about a Minuit to reach the trap. I sprint to the end of the rocks and spin around, drawing my axe and readying my sword.

The inside of the trap area is fairly different, it is large and round, with about twenty metres of space for my to circle. Almost like and arena. An arena... Images of me and Ludo shoot into my head but as soon as six huge white wolves run through the small gap and begin to circle me in the arena. I move into the middle and slowly spins in a circle, trying to keep eye contact with six wolves at once proves rather challenging. They growl and snap at me, but none seem to make an attempt at my life.

Suddenly a tree falls in front of the gap to the forest and I know this is it. William and John appear above me and fire arrows downwards. A wolf takes a pounce at me, I duck, allowing the creature to fly over me. When it turns I bring my axe down into it's head, the skull cracks and the creature falls dead instantly. I let go of the axe and hold my sword with two hand. John and William had killed two wolves, which leave three. Another wolf lunges at me, I spin and bring my sword down on it's neck. it side steps and swipes at me, I leap backwards as it leaps forwards. I place my sword horizontal and let the beast's jaw engulf the blade as the blood seeps from it's mouth. It doesn't take long for it to die and when I look up the rest of the wolves had died. I sigh, proud that I hadn't been eaten alive by savage dogs.

* * *

It didn't take long for us to bring the wolves back. A passing logger let us borrow his cart and we pushed the six corpses to the Butchers' within an hour. It was evening by the time we got back though, and the setting sun gave the clouds and orange look. I can tell it will snow tomorrow, there's something about snow clouds that makes them seem heavier than all the others. The Butcher came out from his shop and smiled happily.

"Thank you my boys!" he exclaims, giving each of a hearty hug. "I can feed half the District with these."

"I hope you do." John says, he gives small bows to us all then walks away back to his home. Bowing was just his thing, he had always done it.

"I'll head back now, lads." Williams says, giving a small salute to us both. "I'm sure the Peacekeepers are going to want to see me." He strolls away happily towards the centre of the village. I sigh, turn to the Butcher, give a small nod and make my way back to the Victor's Village.


	4. Old Friends

I close the door just as the first flakes of snow lightly start to build upon the ground. I sigh, take off my jacket and hang my sword and axe from the coat hanger to the side of me. The house if filled with a dull light that flows through the house, giving it a strangely soothing feeling. I walk around the corner and into the dining room. Callum sits in the seat where Snow once sat, obviously not knowing that the most monstrous man we've ever had the pleasure to hear about sat in that seat, with Blight sitting next to him.

"You would have thought they would phone wouldn't you?" Callum says, taking a sip of his mug filled to the brim with coffee. Obviously they both haven't noticed me yet. Blight chuckles and leans back in his chair.

"They never do." He raises his arms above his head to stretch, that's when he notices me. "Evening Seth, we were just talking about your Tour." Callum turns in his seat and gives me a quick wave.

"Tomorrow isn't it?" I ask, walking over so that I sit opposite of Blight. "You going with me?"

"Of course." Blight replies with a smile on his face. "I wouldn't let you get all the booze." I chuckle slightly and remove my glasses and mask. The air feels cold on my face, but at the same time it seems to soothe my muscles.

"Wish I could come with." Callum says, taking another gulp of his coffee. "But it's Victor's only."

"You've still got one year to be one." Blight says, leaning forward on his elbows. Callum raises an eyebrow at him and places his cup back down on the table. "What?"

"Think you could get me out?" Callum asks jokingly. Blight leans back on his chair, breathes onto his hand and rubs it on his chest. Callum laughs and leans back in his chair. "Oh, such confidence."

"Arrogance." I cough quietly, Blight gives me a false wounded look and I can't help but smirk. Over the past few days thing have been returning to normal with me and Callum, if not better. Now I've found my tongue I can't help but be glad that I'm able to keep a conversation going.

"Oh ye of little faith." Blight replies with a smile as he leans back forward. He turns his head to Callum. "Can I have a moment please? I need to speak with him about the Tour."

"Of course." Callum replies, gulping down the rest of his coffee and standing. Since Blight snapped at Callum he's been far more open and I'm glad of it. "I'll go bring Kate home, I'm sure she's back with the Butcher." And with that he takes off into the night. Blight's expression turns sour and I know what's coming next.

"It's not Haymitch." He says to me, I roll my eyes.

"How'd you work that out?" I ask with a cocky grin. Blight frowns back, he's right, this is serious.

"Snow's been sending me messages through the holo." He says with a concerned expression, one that I also share with him. "Haymitch is still a raging alcoholic, which I am deeply impressed with."

"What happens on this Tour?" I ask him with a small frown. Blight sighs , looking down at his hands then back up to me.

"Pretend to be happy, speak to the mentors, bride the peace-keepers for information." He says with a lost expression on his face, he's just as far in the dark as I am. "We'll find a way."

"Of course we will." I smile at him with my fake smile, the one I wear when I know that hope is all that we have left. "We just survive." His words that he spoke to me so long ago echo through the halls of the house.

* * *

We sit in silence for a time until I hear the door open and two sets of feet follow from around the hallway and into the dining room.

"Good evening, babe." She skips into the room and plants a kiss on my cheek. Blight takes this as his que and excuses himself from the the house. Callum has gone straight to his room, it's where he spends most of his early evenings after all. "Sorry I'm late, the Butcher wanted a 'and with the meat you collected." She takes Blight's seat and smiles at me, but I don't return it. "You okay?"

"Just..." I trail off for a moment before I finally get my head back together. "I just don't want to go back to the Capitol." I place my head in my hands and gently rub my temples. I then feel her soft hands take mine with a soothing squeeze. She smiles at me with those eyes that send shivers down my spine.

"You'll be fine, babe." She says with a small smile, standing me up and leading me back to our bed. I'm not in the mood for any action tonight and she knows it, yet still she doesn't push me. "Go get cleaned up."

"If I must." I reply with a smile and give her a quick kiss. As I remove my top she stops me, grabbing my wrist and staring at the cut on my forearm with worried eyes.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice far more serious than I had anticipated. I shrug.

"Needed bait." I reply coldly, sounding much more like the old me than I should have, her hands slide away from my wrist and I walk into the small bathroom that we have connected to our room.

I allow the water to run over my skin, I'm still not used to this feeling yet, water flowing smoothly over parts of me that once were destroyed. I inspect my skin, it's nearly perfect. Of course the past few months have added a few imperfections but I can't live without them. These imperfections are what I am, far from perfect. Being as though there is no sign of the beating I took in the arena I'm glad to have extra scar, even if I caused it. I hear a knock on the door and I know exactly who it, I give permission and Kate walks into the room in her bathrobe. It amazing how comfortable we are around each other. She drops her bathrobe and steps into the shower, wrapping her arms around my chest.

"You'll be okay without me won't you, babe?" She asks and looks up to my face, I can't tell if it's the hot water hitting her face or if it's tears building in her eyes that cause them to shine. I smile a half smile back at her, which she responds with in kind, placing her lips firmly against mine.

* * *

I awake before Kate, another night of horrid images has flashed by and I hadn't screamed, I don't scream anymore, not when I know how much it hurts Kate. I slip from underneath her arms and slide out of our bed, I place my trousers on, socks and boots then walk down stairs. The cold winter air fills the house and I'm glad of it. Lying on the table is my mask and glasses, exactly where I had left them yesterday. I slide them on with a strange grace and make myself a simple breakfast, it's ironic how easily my hunger can be stopped considering how I had fought it for so long. Then I hear the door open and I know who it is, there's only going to be one other person awake at six o'clock in the morning on the day of the Victory Tour.

"I was wondering if you'd be awake." Blight comments as he walks into the dining room and takes his normal chair, clearly avoiding the one that Snow had sat in. I quickly fashion two cups of tea, one for him and one for me. I pass it over the table and sit opposite.

"I'm going to hate this."

"You hating making twelve speeches in front of Panem? I never would have guessed." He replies and we both chuckle quietly as we sip the tea. "If it's any help, I'll be there every step of the way."

"Does that include the hunting?" I ask with a small frown, even though I know all that he can see is my lips because the rest is hidden under the mask. He frowns back for a moment, Blight knows what I mean by hunting but he hates the plan just as much as I do.

"Yeah." He replies. For a moment we sit in silence until finally he speaks back up. "Amor and Aleron should be arriving soon."

"I thought Aleron was retiring?" I ask in genuine surprise. It wasn't till I had got back to District 7 did I regret not saying goodbye to my team. I hadn't bothered to learn the names of my prep team, at the time they just annoyed me, but Aleron was far more District than Capitol and I cherished his company for it in the end.

"One last Tour." Blight replies with a small smile, even though we all know it should be Claire and Claire's stylist going on this Tour. "You'll be his crown jewel."

"He'll have nothing to work on." I laugh back.

"I think he's got the leather armour for you to wear, same as you're first interview." I smile slightly at this suggestion. "Or at least something similar."

"Do you think he'll make me armour?" I ask with a much larger smile. Blight raises an eyebrow in confusion at me.

"Why would you want armour? You intend on fighting?" He asks, taking a much larger gulp of his tea.

"Yes." I reply and he spits his tea out over the table. Instantly cursing and rushing to clean it up with a tea towel. "We don't know how this spy thing is going to go down."

"I can't argue there." He admits, dabbing his mouth with the tea towel. As if on que I hear a knock at the door. Blight shoots me a nervous look and I let out a long drawn sigh. This is it, my Tour has come. I stand, make my way to the door and open it to allow the cold air to flow in. Although when I see Aleron standing in the door way I don't know if all this ice is emanating off just him. Aleron gives a respectful nod and I return it, then a beaming face appears and I can't help but laugh as I feel Amor's arms wrap around me.

"It's good to see you, my boy!" Amor exclaims cheerfully. I laugh and return the compliment, closing the door behind the two of them.

"Where's the prep team?" I ask with a frown. Aleron sits himself down in that chair and Amor quickly steals mine, obviously not noticing the cup of steaming tea next it the bloody bastard.

"We don't need one." Aleron replies as he withdraws a small grey rectangle from his pocket. Yet again he's in his full white suit with the same white hair and beard that he wore during the Games. Amor on the other hand has died his hair charcoal black and placed strips of red through it, is he really that proud of me that he stole my colours? First my chair and now my colours? I can feel my privacy slowly melting away as the realisation of the cameras arriving soon hits me. "You have your arena costume?"

"Of course." I reply, walking over to sit next to Blight, who has kindly reached over the table and slid my mug of tea to me. "But we need to speak about something else first, Blight." I motion for him to explain.

It doesn't take Blight long, he fills our two companions all the information we know on the informant and I see their faces grower ever darker as he goes into gruesome detail of our words with President Snow. We also tell Aleron how I want a suit of armour, designed to inspire fear just like I had last year, so that I can really put the fear of god into who ever is doing this and as such stop any others from threatening Snow again. I feel wrong for protecting him, but the truth is that as long as Snow is alive so is Kate and Callum, so I must keep Snow alive.

"I can sort something out." Aleron says, withdrawing a small metal pen-like thing from inside the rectangle he holds. I can only assume that he's using some type of digital sketch pad to begin designing my armour. "I think we should present you as the Tribute, sorry, Victor that you was when you were given the Phoenix title."

"They still call me that?" I ask in disbelief. Amor nods excitedly.

"Oh yes! They have posters of you plastering that Capitol, it's magnificent!" He says, clapping his hands slightly.

"Mask on or off?" Blight asks with a small frown.

"On." Aleron replies. Blight laughs to himself.

"They got you're good side then!" He elbows me gently and gives me a small wink, I take this as my chance and while his tea is on the table and his guard is down I push his chair and he falls backwards and onto the floor. I laugh as he stumbles back to his feet and stands ready to wrestle. I jump to my feet and just as we got lock arms I hear a familiar voice call.

"What are you boys doing at-" Kate stops short when she notices it's not me and Callum. Her cheeks flush red, as far as I can tell she's only wearing a shirt and her underwear. I smile under my mask, walk over to her lifting my mask over my nose and plant a loving kiss on her lips.

"Morning, darling." I lead her downstairs, I really don't think it matters if her legs are on show to these people. "Meet some old friends of mine."


	5. Off On Tour

Blight gives me the thumbs up and I open the door of my house, a strange camera on wheels sits in the middle of the path to my door way and I know who's on the other side of that screen.

"There he is, ladies and gentlemen, the Phoenix of District 7!" Caesars voice projects from the strange machine, even now he sounds painfully charismatic, then following sound is that of applause and cheers as he tries to calm the audience down.

"Good morning, Caesar!" I say good naturedly to the camera. He laughs as I give a small bow.

"How has it been in District 7, we want details, Seth, details." He entices me impatiently.

"Well if you come into my humble home I can explain." I say with a small smile, even though my mask is covering my face. Before the camera had arrived I had ushered Kate back into our room so she could get dressed, Amor thinks it would be a good idea to have her make an entrance on the screen. The camera grows a little pair of tracks, from where I don't have a bloody clue, then it follows me into my house. I close the door behind it and walk into the dining room so that I'm leaning against the chair where Snow sat.

"So how's it going?" He asks yet again, completely ignoring the fact that Amor, Aleron and Blight are all seated behind me each enjoying a cup of their chosen beverage.

"It's been amazing being back in District 7," this is probably going to be one of the only true statements he's going to get from me all day, "and it's been just as amazing to live an easy life."

"The fairy tale ending you deserve, Seth!" He claims happily, the audience cheer but I grit my teeth as I think of how much Claire deserved this and not me. "What have you been doing then?"

"Making good cuppa of tea." Blight adds, lifting his mug behind me, we all laugh along with Caesar as he says a quick few words about how much he loves our friendship. I'm glad Blight saved me on that one, I'm meant to have chosen a skill to spend my time doing but considering I've only hunted once I can't really use it.

"And has there been a special lady?" He asks, I hear half of the audience getting excited and the other half getting nervous, my answer is going to please some and disappoint the others.

"Yes there is, Caesar." I reply, the audience burst into cheer as I point towards the staircase and she walks down. Kate with her long black hair tied back into a pony-tail, I am taken back for a moment when I see that she's wearing the female version of the arena clothes I wear. She walks gracefully over to me, quite an amazing feat when you're wearing combat boots, lifts my mask over my nose and plants a kiss firmly against my lips. I wrap my arms around her waist and kiss back as the audience on the other side of that camera go completely berserk. "Capitol, I'd like you to meet Kate."

"Good morning." She waves at the camera with a smile plastered on her face, I'm smiling as well and I know that the Capitol can see this one.

"And a good morning to you as well, my dear." Caesar replies, how glad I am that Caesar has always been willing to help a Tribute with speaking. He's a good man, one of the few in the Capitol I would save if I burnt the city down. "Well we're all glad to see you and we all hope to see you in the Capitol!"

"Will you be at the party, Caesar?" I ask with a grin, he laughs along with the crowd.

"Of course, of course!"

"Then I look forward to it!" I reply, lifting my hand to the camera, the audience let out one final scream of appreciation as Caesar says his goodbyes. The camera rolls out of my house, somehow opening the door, and also closing it behind it, and off down the Victor's Village.

"Well that went well." Blight comments, half surprised and half impressed. Everyone mumbles in agreement and continues drinking, how glad I am that I hadn't bought and alcohol otherwise we'd all be going to the Tour drunk as skunks. Kate gives me a quick kiss then zips back upstairs, I'm surprised Callum hasn't woken up yet with all the commotion going on. "We have to go soon, go pack your gear."

"Already on it." I reply, walking up the stairs after Kate. When I walk through the door to our bedroom I find that she has packed my clothes into a simple black suitcase, weapons and all. She smiles to me with teary eyes. "Hey, darling, what's wrong?"

"Be safe, okay?" She hands me her golden necklace, dangling from her delicate hands like ivy off the tallest tree. For a moment I freeze, not sure on how to react, until finally she places the necklace around my neck for me. "Blight was telling me that these Tours can sometimes be a bit violent."

"I'll be fine." I kiss her gently then pull my mask back down over my lips. "I survived the Hunger Games, remember?" I ask with a small laugh, Kate laughs back, how glad I am for her dark humour.

"Only just." She whispers back as I pretend to take offence. She laughs again, closing the zip on the suitcase and handing it to me. "Come home in one piece, babe."

"I'll see you soon, darling." I reply back, smiling under my mask as I walk from the house and down the stairs, the rest of my team must have already left for the train station. Callum still hasn't woken up yet, so I let him sleep. I exit the door to my house and let the cold air flush over my as I pick the case up and sling it over my right shoulder, happily enjoying the walk down ton the train

* * *

I sit across the table that me and Blight had rested upon six months ago. Blight sits opposite me and Amor to my left, with Aleron having left our company and gone into his room for the rest of the afternoon. In between us sits the small holo that Snow gave Blight not too long ago, it still feels cold to the bone from where his icy talons had once grasped it.

"I'll try to get any information from the other mentors while you're on your Tour, you speak to them as well." Blight orders me whilst pointing at me with a fork. He smiles for a second, reaches over the table, and then picks up an orange. I roll my eyes, what is it with my team and bloody oranges!? "Don't be too obvious."

"Oh! I can do some sweet talking with the Escorts and see what they've noticed!" Amor adds cheerfully. i giggles slightly as he raises an eyebrow at me.

"Remember that speech you gave me and Cl-" I stop myself short and the mention of her name, almost freezing in place as I halt the word from rolling off my tongue. I give them both a respectful nod, stand and make my way to the end of the train where I had stood so long ago. I hear the door open behind me, this feels like deja vu.

"You okay, mummy?" Blight asks in a soothing tone, I let my shoulders drop as I release a long exhausted sigh.

"I miss her, Blight." I say, looking down at the track as we hurdle towards District 12 at breakneck speed. I look to Blight who is staring out of the train at the passing trees as we leave the borders of District 7.

"So do I." He admits, smiling at me with that smile we District 7 people do, the smile that means that we're feeling pain, great pain, but we carry on regardless. "And we're going to miss many more Tributes."

"How are we going to send kids to their deaths, Blight?" i ask in a hurt tone, which is a tone I very rarely use. Since I took the role of leader in the Games I know how it feels to want to protect those rely on you, shelter them from all the pain even if it means it buries itself in like an axe. "How did you send me and her away?"

"With a heavy heart." He admits, now his gaze has dropped to the tracks and I know this trip is hurting him just as much as it's hurting me. "I thought y... We... Could get her home."

"We tried." I add in my hollow voice. I don't think I'll be able to send children to their deaths, no matter how broken or fucked up I may be my morals still hold strong. They're the only true pillar in my castle that will never crumble. "And we'll try again."

"Remember what I said to you? Three months ago when we were coming home."

"We don't live," I let the words roll from my tongue as if they were my own, "we just survive."

"Just survive." He repeats, looking forward as District 7 slowly fades away into the horizon. "We're from the Districts, Seth, the best we can do is survive."

"And yet the Capitol enjoy their lives of luxury." I spit back, rage bubbling in my blood, I hated the Capitol before I went into the arena but I kept those in check whilst in the arena to avoid anything going back on Claire, and even though the Capitol has fixed my skin I know it wasn't out of good will. "It isn't right, Blight."

"No it isn't." He agrees as he folds his arms. "But what can we do?"

"Kill Snow." I reply coldly, Blight laughs, he obviously thinks I'm joking. He looks at me for a second, expecting me to be laughing along, but I'm not, I just stare at Blight with intense eyes that, even though he can't see, he knows are prying for an answer. His expression changes from a smile to that of concern within an instant.

"There are cameras on this train." He states in a serious tone, I look down to my feet to compose myself then back up. We'll talk about this later he mouths to me. I nod slightly as he continues to stare out of the back of the train. He can't just leave, although I know he wants to to collect his thoughts, but he can't speak of this either, it will come back down on our head's like an executioners axe. "Speaking of cameras, we're going to be staying in the Capitol for an extra two weeks."

"Two weeks to hunt?" I ask, my voice still projecting what evil nature I had suppressed after the Games. Blight nods, even though he doesn't like that I call it hunting he knows that it's exactly what it is.

"I suspect violence will follow." Blight says, letting his words echo slightly. Neither of us want to fight, but while I'm enslaved by Snow I know that my sword hasn't draw it's full potential of blood. "You're going to be focusing on that."

"You're not fighting?" I ask in a surprised tone, Blight shakes his head back and forth slowly.

"I need to gather information, get people to trust me, it's your job to kill them."

"Did Snow send you this as well?" I ask. Blight nods slowly, he gives me a quick glance and I notice the concern building over his face. I'm glad he informs me of Snow's plans but I'd prefer to hear from Snow directly, or maybe he knows that I want to kill him and that's why he turns to Blight? The far more understanding and passive one of the two of us. "I thought I was done killing Tributes, Blight."

"We'll never be done killing Tributes." Blight replies, turning to smile at me for a moment, a hollow and hopeless gesture. He then turns and leave me in peace, and at the moment that is what I need.

* * *

It doesn't take me long to regain my sanity, or at least what's left of it. I walk back through the train and to the dining room where I find Amor sitting at the table, happily playing with a small book in his hand. I sit opposite him, for a moment he continues looking at the book, then slides it over to me. It's black, pitch black, with a symbol of the front. A red and orange bird spreading it's wings across the page and climbing into the sky. I recognise the bird instantly, it's a Phoenix.

"I think you'll be wanting this, young man." He then hands me a black pen, pitch black as well, with a small orange band going horizontally across the top.

"You want me to write a book?" I ask in confusion. Amor chuckles slightly, turning the cover over to show that all the pages are blank.

"I want you to write your book, if you would, please." His manners are charming if not annoying, most of the people in District 7 don't attempt to convince people with the over-use of the world please. "You're going on quite an adventure."

"I'm killing a brother or sister." I reply, Amor understands that Victors share an instant bond due to an understanding that only we share. I've only spoken to one other Victor, Blight, and as soon as I had joined his ranks I felt as though I had been with him is entire life. Amor closes the book gain so that the phoenix on the front is staring at me.

"You'll want to remember what you did, boy, and so will your children."

"What if I don't want kids?" I retort, at the moment I wouldn't bring a child into this world, not if they share the family curse of the Games. He smiles at me for a moment, taps my hand and taps my hand gently.

"You will one day, sweet boy." He says with a smile, standing and exiting the dining carriage.

I look down at the book at lift it gently in my hands. What Amor is offering me is a legacy, one that I can pass down through the generations. The Phoenix is a symbol of rebirth, and maybe I can make my story one of rebirth. I lightly pick up the pen, lean back in the chair and begin writing. I start straight from the beginning, writing details of my family and their bloody fates, I write about my struggle to survive and my withdrawal from the world. I write about Callum, Claire, Blight, Kate, William, John, the Butcher, the peace-keeper who saved my life, my brothers, my father, my mother and everyone else who has touched my life in some way. I smile as my hands moves with grace, and this grace isn't hidden by violence for once. I can't stop myself, I write everything I remember in as much detail as possible, then I get to my reaping and I know that this is going to be difficult.


	6. District 12

The train begins to decelerate as we pull into District 12. Honestly, I like it here, it's a poor District that's extremely run down, and I love it because of it's imperfections. The train doors open and I step out, my weapons on my back just in case. Amor steps from behind me and ushers me across the station. Amor has filled me in that, due to the special circumstances of my visit, I will be spending two days in each. Meaning that I may be away even longer than I expected. At the end of the station stands the mayor of District 12, lovely man from what Blight has told me. I extend a hand to him and he wraps his hand around mine with a firm grasp.

"Seth Greenlaw."

"Mayor Undersee." He replies with a large smile on his face. For a mayor he's very young, must be about twenty or so. "Pleasure to have the Phoenix visiting our District."

"Pleasure's all mine." I reply good naturedly as I release his hand and return mine to my side. "Nice place."

"Please, there's no need to flatter yourself." He motions with his hand towards the exit, and with a small bow I gladly follow. We walk down the stairs and there I find a small black car waiting for us. "Your Escort would normally do this, but you have your speech this evening and the feast tomorrow evening." We both climb into the back of the small vehicle as it makes it's way towards District 12's Justice Building.

"I like it here." I say, smiling under my mask, which is truly pointless but I do it anyway. Mayor Undersee makes a humph sound. I turn to him and tilt my head in confusion slightly, a trait I haven't lost since I returned from the Capitol.

"You'd be the first." He states, as the car pulls up outside the Justice Building. We both step out and i take in the scenery, nothing special, plain building with a layer of light brown dirt that coats the floor. There's something about this District that I have a strange attraction to, maybe it's because I understand what it's like to be poor? The car pulls away as the Mayor come to my side. People who are walking aimlessly stop and stare for a moment, it is a Sunday so they're bound to do something with their only day away from the mines, or where ever else they work in this District. Podiums are already been built and I know that I only have an afternoon before I must speak in front of Marcus and Liz's families. This is going to be difficult. "It's not much..."

"And that's why I like it." I reply, lifting my mask over my nose and smiling at the Mayor. He frowns for a moment, taking in my skin, then snaps out of his daze. "I haven't been poor in six months and it's good to get back to earth."

"Well..." He blinks a few times as his mouth moves but no words leave it. Am I the only Victor ever admit I miss struggling to survive? "I didn't expect that."

"What did you expect then?" I ask with a grin. He smiles back, I'm glad this man has a good nature.

"For you to not be so humble." He replies and we both laugh for a moment. I take a deep breath of District 12's air into my lungs and sigh contently.

"I'm going exploring, what time do you want me to be here?"

"Oh, arrive for half five, gives us half an hour an hour to prepare you." He says with a small smile. "Have fun!" He gives a small wave and makes his way into the Justice Building. I wouldn't have expected him to be such a friendly person, considering my District partner killed one of his own.

* * *

I walk slowly through District 12's poorest area, the residents of this run down place call it The Seam. It remind greatly of my old home, the one that I once lived in with my family. I have a new family now, one that I built and one that I will continue to build until I die. The people of the Seam differ greatly to those by the Justice Building. These people have far darker features, in fact they resemble tanned versions of my District, except with grey not green eyes. I feel at home in this place, and as I slowly wander down the dusty road through the old and destroyed houses I can't help but smile to myself, even though I know that these people are suffering. A man rushes past me, bumping into my shoulder as the two of us stumble onto the floor. We land with a crash, facing each other in a mixture of shock and confusion.

"So, so, so sorry." The man apologises with a concerned look. He stands, rushes over to me and helps me to my feet.

"What's the hurry?" I ask with a grin, he stutters for a moment before regaining his composure and standing straight.

"Everdeen." He says with a smile as he extends his hand, I take it in mine and shake firmly. It's amazing how similar his name and my mother's are. "Are you... The Phoenix?"

"Yes," I admit with a small sigh, "Seth is my actual name."

"Most people remember you as The Assassin." Everdeen says with a smile, letting go of my hand and motioning for me to follow. I smile lightly as I walk alongside him back the way I came. "I suppose you'll be heading to the Merchant Quarter?"

"Just exploring." I reply, taking in the air and the view at the same time. "Where you headed?"

"Merchant Quarter." He replies with a small smile. "Need to see a lady."

"A lucky lady?" I ask back with a grin, he laughs for a moment and shakes his head back and forth as the two of us make our way further up the path.

"Yeah," he replies, looking down at his feet as we both turn on the path towards the Merchant Quarter, "but she doesn't that I'm saving up for a marriage."

"Why don't you tell her?" I ask in a soothing tone, I normally don't deal with social problems but I need to find some way to pass the time, why not do a little good whilst I'm wasting time? He shakes his head back and forth.

"I can't afford a wedding, or a ring, or anything." He replies as we make our way into the Merchant Quarter. He looks towards a building with cakes in the window, I can only assume that it's the District's bakery. I motion for us to enter but he shakes his head. "Sorry, I need to go find her."

"How about you come find me after my speech?" I ask good naturedly, he raises and eyebrow to me but I don't change my expression.

"Seriously?" He asks in a confused tone. Now it's my turn to be confused. "A Victor would want to talk to a miner?"

"I didn't always used to be rich." I reply with a small smile. Everdeen nods, and jogs away, waving goodbye as he jogs.

* * *

I turn towards the bakery, knocking the door lightly and opening the door to allow myself in. A bell rings above my head and I hear a a low rumbling voice come from behind the counter. I walk towards the counter, where several red stools have been placed in front of the counter. i slowly sit on the stool and rest my elbows against the counter. A middle-aged man's head pops up from behind the counter. He's a large man with thick blonde hair and a bushy blonde beard. Surely all his hair must get in the way of baking? I mean even his forearms are covered in hair!

"What would you... Oh?" He eyes me up and down for a moment. Before frowning slightly. "I see we have a Phoenix in our midst."

"Is there a problem?" I ask innocently, he smiles to himself for a moment.

"None, I know you tried to help our Tributes, while you could." He says with a small smile. He extends a hand and I shake it, shaking hands is getting extremely old extremely quickly. "I'm Mr. Mellark, now, what would you like?"

"Merely browsing." I reply with a small smile, having the mask over my nose is proving rather useful and as the scent of dough fills the air i take a deep breathe in and sigh contently. The Baker smiles as I chuckle. "Smells lovely."

"Tastes even better." He replies in a happy tone. I hear the bell ring behind me and I see a boy, again about my age, walk through the door. He stops in his tracks when he notices me.

"I... Um..." He stutters at my surprise, this must be Mr. Mellark's son. "Welcome?"

"Thank you." I reply with a chuckle as he rushes behind the counter and to the ovens behind.

"That's my boy." He states with a large smile over his face. "So what would you like?"

"I think I'll be fine." i reply with a small smile. I stand from the stool and make my way back to the door. "I'm just looking around."

"Okay." Mr. Mellark replies, making his way from around the counter and to where I was once sitting. "Have a good Tour, Phoenix." I smile back as I leave the bakery and step into the light. That's when i see a familiar face make it's way towards me.

"You fat bastard." Blight says with a smile as he walks up towards me. I grasp his forearm and he returns the gesture. "Eating all the cakes, ai?"

"Only looking around." i reply with a smile, pulling my mask down over my mouth, I've had enough of people looking at my skin for one day. He smiles back to me for a moment, looking into my glasses for where my eyes are hidden. I tilt my head over slightly.

"You ready? You're speech is in two hours." He asks with a small smile. I nod back.

"Nearly, can you get me something?"

* * *

I stand before the whole of District 12, I can see the Mellark family in the crowd, and Everdeen, waiting at the outskirts. I take a quick glance to Blight who gives me the thumbs up. I have no prepared speech, I don't feel I need one, they all know my story and no written words will truly convince them of my guilt. There before me, on two separate podiums, stand Marcus and Liz's families stand before me and I know this will be difficult. I take a step forward to the mic that rests before me, adjusting my mask so that no skin can be seen at all I begin speaking.

"I've never been good with words, you all know this, and we have all lost something or someone due to the Games. There's no words I know that can express the pain I feel every night. I feel like I failed them both, they both fought to survive, and I protected them to the best of my abilities." I take a moment to compose myself, opening my heart to all these people is gut wrenching. "Even though Marcus tried to kill Claire, I respect his survival instincts, and I'm so sorry that I couldn't protect Liz, she was so innocent." I can see that both of the families are tearing up, I wasn't friends with their Tributes, but I was their brother in arms, so to speak.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened, and you have every right to hate me. If it's any consultation, their faces will haunt me till the day I die, I may have showed no remorse when I fought in that arena, but for ever life I took or failed I felt it chip away at who I am." I look down for a moment and let my shoulders drop, the silence is eating at me like a crow at a corpse. "Thank you, and I know I can never repay your loss."

I take my leave from the stage, walking straight towards Blight who is standing with a pitiful smile plastered on his face.

"You did good." Blight reassures me, placing his hand on my shoulder and giving a gentle squeeze. I avoid his gaze as the crowd disperses behind us. Then I hear foot steps walks towards us, it's Everdeen. "Made a friend have you, mummy?"

"Everdeen." He replies, extending his hand.

"Any friend of Seth's is a friend on mine." Blight grasp his forearm firmly and shakes it almost violently, I'm surprised he hasn't ripped Everdeen's arm socket out. "I'll be headed off, Amor is most likely looking for me." Blight jogs off sheepishly, Blight must think I'm trying to get information about Haymitch from him, but we know Haymitch isn't the problem. Everdeen motions for me to follow and the two of us set off down towards the Merchant Quarter again.

"Did you see the girl?" I ask in a positive tone, trying to force the images of the Games that are flushing back after, he shakes his head.

"I couldn't." He replies, the sun is setting and I assume that he won't see her again for a week if he doesn't take this opportunity. "Can't affo-"

"Yes you can." I reply with a small smile, my body language must be showing that I'm happy at this point because as I hand a small gold ring with a single diamond in it to him his eyes widen with both surprise and joy.

"Oh my-" He starts but can't find the words to finish.I laugh as I place the small ring in his hand. "You sure it will fit?"

"Their Capitol rings, they mould to the finger." I say with a small smile. He looks at me in disbelief, has no one ever done a favour for him? "Go find your lady."

"You're coming with me." He orders, I go to object but before I can I find two hand on my back as I'm being pushed at high speeds towards the Merchant Quarter.

* * *

It doesn't take long for us to find ourselves outside a house, which I can only assume is his lady's. He takes a deep breath in.

"Do me a favour?" He asks, suddenly realising his words. He stutters for a moment but I laugh them off, I don't think he'll ever be able to repay this debt, or at least in his eyes. "I'll go sit down by the tree over there, can you get her for me?"

"Of course." I reply with a small bow. He grins excitedly then sprints to the willow tree, a willow tree, last time I saw a willow tree I was sheltering underneath it with my pack. I force the images of Hasta and Claire away, both people who's blood is on my hands, and for one of them the statement is literal. I take my mask and weapons off, I don't think having the Phoenix at your door is a very good way to start an engagement. I place them next to the door and knock firmly.

"I'll get it!" A voice comes from inside. As the door swings open I see a young girl, long flowing blonde hair and deep blue eyes, staring at me in confusion. "Do I know you?"

"You may have seen me on TV." I admit with a small smile, it takes her a minute before she recognises who I am, this not-being-the-Phoenix plan didn't go well at all. "I'm here to see you, young lady."

"Me?" She asks defensively, has she had trouble with Victors before? "Why me?" I point behind me as I hear a soothing voice, the birds fall silent as he sings. I turn with an eyebrow raised, he never told me he sang. I hear the girl giggle from behind make her way towards Everdeen, walking straight past me and towards her soon to be fiance. He sits under the tree, singing a song about a hanging tree? Then as he finished the song he moves onto a song about a willow and a meadow? I'm assuming the willow song was what Liz was on about the day we spent in the clearing in the arena.

The two sit happily in the evening sun for a moment. I stop at edge of the porch and rest on the steps with my hands on my knees. The two talk for a moment then suddenly, Everdeen draws the ring and his lady gasps, placing her hands over her mouth and nodding as the tears stream down her face. Everdeen beams with delight as he slides the ring onto her finger, and the two embrace each other. I spot Everdeen shoot a happy look to me as he gives me the thumbs up, I take my que and leave the two to enjoy the rest of their evening.


	7. Back to Work

There are two things to celebrate today, well one really. The Games and Mr and Mrs Everdeen. The District seems to focus on that mainly and I'm glad of it, I'd prefer not to have people focusing on the violence shown by me in The arena. That's when I notice a certain drunk, stumbling towards me with a bottle of liquor in his hand.

"Ahh the Phoenix of District 7." He spits, obviously not to pleased on the outcome of the Hunger Games. His breathe is drenched with alcohol and I'm glad my mask is hiding the distaste I'm showing towards him right now. "Enjoying your party?"

"It's not mine." I reply in a cold tone. "It's theirs." And I point to the recently engaged couple dancing happily while the music plays. I had decided to leave Everdeen alone the day, allowing him to enjoy himself with his new found soul mate.

"Stop acting all good, Phoenix." He manages to stutter as he stumbles, a hand flies underneath and I turn to see Blight standing under his arm. Haymitch takes another gulp of his poison. "Than you, Tree."

"Blight." Blight corrects him as he straightens him back up. "It's Blight."

"Oh shut up." He replies, falling face first onto the ground and begins snoring. I look to Blight who is looking back at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Obviously our spy." Blight says sarcastically, stepping over the man and whispering into my ear. "We can leave early, if you want?"

"Let me say my goodbye first." I whisper back and make my way to the edge of the dance floor. Everdeen spots me and smiles, taking his fiance around the waist and walking them both over to me. It's amazing how much of a difference I've made to this District in just two days.

"Is this it?" He asks with a small disheartened smile.

"This is it." I reply. He lets go of his fiance and wraps his arms around me.

"I can never thank you enough." He mutters, holding me at arms length and smiling. "One day, my family will repay you."

"let's hope they never have to." I reply, patting him gently on the shoulder and turning away. I've never been good with farewells so walking away always seemed like the best idea. At least this goodbye didn't involve running a sword through my friends heart. I walk over to Blight who is waiting for me with a smile. I walk alongside him as we slowly make our way towards the black car that awaits us. We both go to climb in whilst maintaining an easy silence, but a voice comes from behind me. I turn and find a small pair of arms wrapped around my chest.

"Thank you." The blonde girl whispers to me, pulling away with a large smile on her face. "I'll never forget you."

"Nor I you, Mrs Everdeen." I reply with a small bow as I slide into the car.

* * *

The rest of the Districts don't match up to District 12, that is at least until I hear the sound of screeching metal as we pull into District 2's train yard, how I have regretted this day. I step out of the train and onto the cold marble floor of the train station, there before me stands the mayor of District 2.

"Mr. Greenlaw." He states without extending a hand, the man look surprisingly like Ludo, and I struggle to keep the memories at bay.

"Mayor Saluagius" I reply in a cold tone, one which I rarely use now. I'm used to shaking hands after this Tour but this is the first person who hasn't acted civil, and I can't say that I blame him. "Nice Dis-"

"Save the formalities, Assassin." He spits the last part at me, and rightly deserving, the title is a curse to me. "As much as I dislike you, which is putting it loosely, as my son's Lionheart you will be treated with a minimum level of respect."

"Thank you." I reply politely, making the Mayor grit his teeth and his fists clench. I'm glad I have the mask on, otherwise he'd be forced to look at my smug grin. This man seems to have even less on honour than his son, and he was a monster. "Shall we?"

"Lets." He motions for me to move in front of him and I slowly begin walking in front of him, watching the Mayor's movement by using his shadow. As we leave the station I can't help but feel a sense of pity, I've made speeches to the families of my victims before but this one is different. The people of this District will be forced by tradition, and not just the Capitol, to show me respect, something I believe should be earned and not granted. People who demand respect are people like the Capitol, and although I work for them now, I still harbour that bitter resentment that infected me as a younger man.

The District itself is fairly beautiful, large rolling mountains covered in small trees, or at least small compared to home. I take in the scenery for a moment, Ludo was lucky to have grown up somewhere so breath taking. The thought of my fallen foe sends chills down my spine, since visiting the other Districts I've seen his face in my dreams. Whether I be with Kate, Callum, Blight, Claire or Hasta in my sleep, he's always in the background, watching me.

We step into the black car, and I have to endure the silence as we drive to the Justice building. I slide out of the car, hoping to avoid the eyes of the children of the academy. Which in itself is a strange building. It's much like a Justice Building, large and made of pale grey bricks, but this building has hundreds of children of all ages running through it, all of them wanting to go to a war zone. Upon seeing me they all stop and stare, some filled with rage, some filled with awe, and some filled with the worst of all, envy.

"So many..." I say to myself as the Mayor comes to my left, staring at his little warriors with a sick sense of pride. It should be him who I decapitated, not his indoctrinated son.

"You're mentor told me that you received a message." He states again, handing me a small envelope, why wait till now to give it to me. I look to him to read his expression for a moment, but he remains cold and calculating, how easily could I have become this?

The Mayor turns and leaves, same routine as normal for me. At six I'll do a speech, tomorrow evening I'll have the feast, but the Career Tributes are clear as far as I know, so why do I need orders? I open the envelope with the small white rose on the front, it doesn't take a genius to work out who this has come from. I skim through the writing, who is Thread?

"I can tell you're confused, Mummy." A calming voice comes from behind me. Thank god Blight is here.

"Thread?" I ask with a small frown, even though it remains hidden under my mask, I think I'll hide my face in this District.

"New Peacekeeper from District 12, properly brutal, would have made an excellent tribute." Coming from anyone but Blight this would have royally pissed me off, but Blight understands the pain of the arena, and the dark humour we both share has been our strongest coping mechanism. "Snow wants him training you for the next two days."

"Training me?" I ask a bit too defensively, even for my own taste. "Why?"

"Because Snow wants him coming with us, follow me."

* * *

I walk into the Career's training room, Ludo once trained here. Permissions from the higher powers have given us this room for the next two days. When I walk through the wooden doors I find Aleron standing in front of me, smiling in his normal white attire, behind him stands a human figured cloth.

"What's going on?" I ask, Aleron smiles, grabs the cloth and removes it with a strange grace. I stare in disbelief that the armour that stands before me. Completely black, with armour that covers most the body. The biceps, thighs and calves are covered with a small black surface, with the only detail being the wings engraved onto the biceps. The forearms, with strange rearwards facing hooks on the side, connect to a pair of gauntlets, each gauntlet has a talon engraved onto it. Then there's the chest, two pieces of armour cover my pectorals and smaller plates work for each part of my abdominal. What strikes me the most is the helmet. Much like the mask I wear now, except the glasses are now a visor that is connected permanently. on the side of the mask are another pair of larger wings the reach from the tips of my temples down to just under the edge of my lips. I gently rest my hand upon the armour, struggling to find the words.

"It gets better." Aleron says with a small smile. I can completely understand why Aleron has spent the last two weeks alone. "Say: From the ashes I rise."

"Bit dramatic?" Blight asks with a raised eyebrow, Aleron shrugs it off with a smile, longing for me to say those dreaded words. Does every single member of the Capitol see me as nothing but a symbol? After a minute of Aleron's pleading puppy dog eyes I surrender. What happened to Aleron's cold exterior that I used to respect?

"From the ashes I rise." I take a step back when i see the armour burst into flames. The hooks on the forearms launch flames in the shapes of wings up the biceps. The wings on the head ignite into some sort of backwards horns, with a single line of flames down the middle of the mask. As the flames extend I watch in awe as tribal symbols glow throughout the armour and then slowly fade away.

"What do you think?" Aleron asks with a cocky smile as I stare in awe at the armour. Well, awe and sheer fear, how the hell am I not going to burn alive? "Don't worry, it's safe."

"It's not just that which scares me." I say, staring at the fire as it somehow burns away without destroying everything around it. The fear in my heart is building, how can something so destructive be so tamed? Blight senses what's wrong and places a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"If it frightens you, it will frighten your enemies even more." He states with a small smile. I turn to face him, removing my glasses and mask and throwing them to the ground. I look at him with sorrow filled eyes, it's rare I ever let my soul show and right now I can't help but feel broken when looking at what I must become.

"I won't be fighting my enemies." I reply, tears threaten to spill from my eyes and he can see this. He knows it's true, who ever this spy is he isn't my enemy, in fact he should be my ally. I don't want to work for Snow i want to bring his whole world down around him in the flames that he has forced me to wear, if I don't stop him, how many other Tributes will be forced to wear the fire? "I'll be fighting people like me, like us."

"Difference is, we know when we're beaten." He replies, standing next to me and staring at the armour. We both turn to Aleron, who is frowning slightly.

"is that what the people of the District believe?" He asks with a small frown, me and Blight both return the gesture in confusion. "That the us in the Capitol hate you that much?"

"Why us would you force us to kill each other?" Blight retorts. Aleron's expression turns into one I have never seen from him before, hurt.

"My boys, you need to learn the difference between a city and it's people." He goes to walk away but I grab his forearm with mine. Aleron looks down in shock for a moment, but I hold a firm grip and stare into his eyes. After a moment he wraps his hand around my forearm.

"Help us understand, brother." I ask firmly. He stares through me for a moment, then his eyes meet mine and he gives a respectful nod. He turns to the armour.

"Let's get you suited up."

* * *

I walk from the room in my new armour. I had to turn the fire off before hand though, which meant saying "And to ashes we return" which I found rather silly. Aleron also took my weapons, which pissed me off something chronic but I can't complain, his job is to improve my looks after all. I walk through the building and onto a long concrete room with black silhouettes at the end. This peacekeeper, Thresh, who I still have yet to meet, has organised for me to be trained with a rifle. I step up to the ramp, it's long, long enough to fir at least twenty people on it, but only one black mat is laid down with a single black rifle on it.

I've never seen a weapon like this before, long and sleek, with a thick but and a scope attached to the front. Then I hear the door open behind me.

"That's the SR-25, forward grip and silencer attached, both removable. Fires 7.62x51mm calibre and can kill a man up to two miles away, if fired accurately." I turn on my heels and spot the peacekeeper, who I assume is Thresh, walking towards me with a white variant of the rifle in his hand.

"Thresh?" I ask with small tilt of my head. The man nods, or should I say Thresh nods. I can clearly tell he's a little older than me, but his strong features make him seem far older than he is.

"Thread." He corrects me. "Now, you will listen to me and you will listen to me carefully."

"Will I?" I ask back, a bit too hostile but I don't care, he's a peacekeeper. Next thing I notice I'm acting on instinct, I bring my left arm up to block the fist that has flown at me. "From the ashes I rise!" i shout as my armour ignites, Thread dashes backwards and stares in disbelief as I let the fire engulf me. This is the first time I have set myself on fire, and thank god the armour can take the heat. Thread stares in disbelief, looking down at the armour on his forearm and admiring the burn that has now melted through and almost to his skin.

"Impressive, but can you shoot?" He asks, trying not to look to intimidated. I laugh to myself for a moment, of course I can shoot.

"And to ashes I return." I mutter as the armour's fire fades away. "Of course."

"The weapons is loaded and ready, enter the prone position and fire a ten round grouping into the silhouette in front of you at fifty yards." Thread instructs. I frown for a moment, but decide to go along with it, maybe if I learn to shoot i can kill Snow without even having to leave my house?

"Yes, sir." i reply bitterly, laying down next to the weapon and placing it firmly into my shoulder. Surely this can't be too different from a crossbow? I look through the scope, inhale sharply, hold, gently squeeze the first stage of the trigger, fire the shot, and exhale. I repeat the process several times and when I've finished I can't help but frown. I did the same thing every time, why are my shots in a grouping the size of my hand? I curse to myself as Thread chuckles to himself proudly, raising his rifle and firing a smiley face into the target. "Fuck off, Thread."

"You're pathetic." Thread replies, kicking my leg as I raise myself from the prone position. "How can you think of yourself as a warrior?"

"We all know that I don't." I snap back harshly, if Thread's teaching method is to piss people off until they shoot well, he's only achieving half of his goals. "Now, what did I do wrong?"

"You moved after each shot." Thread says with beady eyes. I frown for a moment, then realise he's right, after each shot I adjusted my position. "You need to stay still."

"Okay." I reply, as he hands me another magazine, or at least that's what he calls the small metal object that contains the twenty rounds. I lay down, pick up my weapon and press the button to slide the current magazine out. I reload the weapon and try again, specifically trying not to move this time. Bang, bang, bang, this process repeats until I hear the distinct click to say I'm out of rounds. I stand up and smile, all my shots In a grouping the size my thumb nail.

"Impressive, you learn quick."

"I aim to please." I reply with a cheeky smile. I can't believe that less than a year ago I wouldn't have done a cheeky smile, I would have silently handed him the weapon and stormed off to kill an animal, but I'm a changed man now. Now I'm just... Seth.

* * *

The rest of the day is consisted of me and Thread trying to make our shots as difficult as possible. We move onto the outdoor range that some other peacekeepers are using. I've picked this shooting up really quickly and by late afternoon me and Thread are shooting orange disks out the air with rifles, when these are meant to be used on shotguns. Changing positions was fairly easy, I found that firing at targets while standing and kneeling was a lot easier than I thought it would be, and I can completely understand why the peacekeepers use these weapons and not the average crossbow.

Finally it's time for the speech and I know how this is going to end. I will have to make a speech the mayor's family and the girls family, maybe my mercy killing of her killer will offer them some leniency? I doubt it very much, but I need some spark to hold onto. I step in front of the Justice Building with no cards in my hands, I can speak my mind here, they have to listen to me, I'm a Lionheart. They stand in perfect formation, all of the citizens in perfect rows. It's disturbing how disciplined they are, I understand that discipline can be a good thing but this just looks like autocracy.

"I'm honoured to stand before you today, honoured to stand in front of the finest warriors in all of Panem." I begin, I'm still in my armour and I can tell by the faces of the people that they are in as much of awe of it's design as I was. "Because that's what you all are, that's what both of your tributes were, all of you are far more than fighters, you are warriors."

"Here here!" I hear a man shout and I chuckle for a moment, shaking my head back and forth.

"For your daughter," I turn my attention towards her family, I don't even know this poor girls name, all I know is that Hasta forced a spear through her ribcage, "she died a warrior, never surrendering, never fleeting."

"Thank you." The woman says, pulling the two younger boys around her to her waist as she tries to hold the tears back. Then I turn to the Mayor, that Capitol-loving bastard.

"As for Ludo. Ludo was an executioner, Ludo was a tyrant, Ludo was a monster, all so that he can prove his worth to you." I say directly to the Mayor, he stands rigid and strong, but I can sense the fury building inside him, and there's nothing he can do about it. "He gave me one of my many titles, more titles that i am forced to wear. Do I believe Ludo deserved to die? Yes, I do believe it. Do I believe that somewhere there was a good man inside him? Yes I do."

"Seth-" I hear Blight's voice call to me but I brush him away. I need to say this, the people need to know what it means to force a child to fight for the sake of glory.

"Ludo could have been a leader, he was a man of honour, and that I respect. Ludo had so much potential, but he was raised to be a tyrant." Everyone is silent, even the peacekeepers on guard have stopped and turned to me, even though their faces are hidden behind the black visors I can feel their eyes burying themselves into me. "I am the Phoenix, born again from the ashes, and Ludo was what raised me to be the warrior i am now, and for that I thank you. Ludo taught me one valuable lesson, that after all this bloodshed, we as a people, have learnt nothing." And with that, I take my leave from the stage. There will be repercussions for this, but right now I don't care. I want the Mayor of this indoctrinated District to know that as much of his son's blood is on his hands as well as mine.


	8. Bollocks to It

My speech made quite an impact it seems, considering across the table from me sits a familliar figure.

"You know that was foolish."

"So was hiring me, Snow." I reply bitterly.

"That armour can't protect you fro me, boy." I stand aggressively and table flips over, Snow doesn't flinch. The room I'm standing in within the District 2 Academy is made of marble so I'm not afraid to show off what I have.

"From the ashes I rise!" I shout and let the flames engulf me. Snow stares at me with eyes of... Wonder? Shouldn't he be majorly pissed off at me right now?

"Amazing..." He trails off for a moment. This is getting extremely disturbing now, in front of Snow stands a trained killer burning as hot as the rage that fills him, but it doesn't even phase him slightly. "Plan has changed."

"And to the ashes I return." I whisper as the fire dies down.

"I want you to do more than hunt this spy, I want you take down the entire organistaion." A lump builds in my throat at this point, more killing.

"What's happening Snow!? I need to know everything!" I demand with clenched fists, Snow keeps his ice cold calm in check and motions for me to sit down. I compose myself and sit down, I may as well be civil.

"The spy is leaking information to a party, from outside the Capitol, you will find the spy and bring him to me. Then when he gives up the information, you will track down and kill the members of this party." Snow's gaze is unfaulting, and I thought Ludo was a monster, this guy is something special. "A positive about your speech, is that this party may see it as a message to them, that fighting the Capitol doesn't end well."

"I didn't me-"

"You did now." Snow cuts me off sharply, what fire had ignited a few minuites ago has returned to it's normal spark. Something that I must contain, or the situation will only grow worse. Self-control is a virtue after all. "You will be my symbol, you will be the symbol of fear."

"I don't want fear anymore." i reply quietly, I can feel myself slowly breaking, slowly retracting back to the old and destroyed Seth. I can't let that happen, not when I have Kate and Callum.

"Well you _are _fear." Snow stares into my visor with snake like eyes. His expression would be frightening enough even if he wasn't the tyranical leader of Panem. "I expect you to be causing far more of it."

"I-" I go to object, but Snow stands and removes himself from the rooms so silently he seemed like a spectre. I fall off my chair and onto my knees, struggling to breathe. Pain shoots through my chest as images of the Games flood back to me. I dig my fingers into cracks in the marble, hoping that the pain will snap me from my mind. It doesn't work and I find myself screaming those words that set me on fire, I clench my hands into fists and allow the fire to roll over me. Somehow it feels clensing.

"Seth!" I hear a friendly voice shout in dismay. I mutter the words and the fire dies down as two strong hands planet themselves on my shoulders, lifting me up and placing my arm over their shoulders.

"Blight, I can't do this." I say weakly, hating myself for letting him have to pick me up like this.

"Just three more days, Seth, three more days."

* * *

What a load of rubish that was. Three more days my arse. It was three more days in the Districts but now I have god knows how long in the fucking Capitol, timings keep changing depending on how much information Snow can get, which is jack shit. I'm temped to just say-

"Bollocks to it, I want to go home!" I practically scream at Blight as I bring my fist down on the table in the training centre, where I'm being forced to stay.

"Here here." Blight adds, peeling an orange, this thing with oranges is starting to bug me more than it should.

"We know you do, but we're stuck here until the President says otherwise." Amor sighs a long drawn sigh, he's hating this mission as much as I am and I shouldn't get mad at him for it. "Snow has given you a week before the party at the Presidential Mansion, that means we have a week to gather our resources, or gather some."

"Well I got nothing from the mentors." Blight adds, over the past two weeks he's been working nearly nonstop to find a weakness in the mentors, but he's had no luck. "I think I need to speak with Snow."

"We both do." I add, with that Blight takes the holo from his pocket and places it on the table. He shoots a quick look to Amor, who in turn stands and makes his way through the elevator doors and down into the city, giving me and Blight the room.

"Get your armour on." Blight orders and I don't object, I haven't worn the mask in days, electing to travel in public in my armour instead. I find it suits me. I walk into my room and equipt it expertly, surprisingly I am able to just slip into it. I walk but out of my room and Snow is already sitting at the end of the table, with Blight talking as images of Victors appear from the holo.

"And so you have found nothing?" Snow asks in his monotone voice, Blight sighs and shakes his head, sitting back in the chair. "Nothing at all?"

"Nothing, sir." Blight replies, the door shuts behind me and as it closes the two men turn to look at me.

"Good morning, Mr. Greenlaw." Snow says to me with dead eyes. I nod back and make my way to Blight's side, Blight scans through the many images, most covered in a thick red line. "You have yet to be anything useful."

"There's no way we can help, sir." Blight replies with a disheartened voice, is he putting it on or did he really want to help? "We've got nothing from these Tributes."

"And I doubt you ever will, following you feast at the mansion I am ordering you home." Snow says, both mine and Blight's jaws drop at the mention of home and I can't help but cheer and punch the air happily, maybe this is not the most appropriate way to act in front of the ruler of Panem. "You can pick the investigation back up during the Games."

"What!?" I shout at Snow, slamming my fist on the table so hard that I can see the dent in the wood. Blight stares at me with eyes widened in shock, but it's too late to go back now, I may as well get myself killed properlly. "We're going to be trying to keep kids alive, Snow!"

"No, you are going to be finding my informant or you and your other half will be in an unfortunate accident, killing you both." I instantly freeze up at this point, the though of Kate getting hurt fills me with dread and yet again the fire inside me has done nothing but turned into a small ember. "You two, Amor, and Romulus Thread will find the informant when they are all trapped in the Capitol."

"Why is the plan changing all the time, Snow?" I ask in a harsh tone, hoping that he _really _understands the hate I feel for him.

"Because so does the situation, I have moved the party forward to tomorrow so that you can get home, I don't want anymore of the underdogs in _my _city."

* * *

The evening goes just as expected, I arrive in the mansion after six months away with mixed emotions. The layout is the same as last time, which i found quite surprising considering how much the Capitol love to brag about their creativity, I mean even Snow's family is sitting in the same place as where they were last, but this time somethings are different. The major differnce is proberlly me and Blight, both us in matching suits with polished shoes and ties, whilest his is black and green mine is black and dark orange.

"We'll be home soon, mummy." Blight whispers to me as he sips a glass of blood red wine. All I can think of is how easy it was to burn the Careers down the nothing but a simple bottle of this liquid.

"Thank god." i whisper back, keeping my eyes focussed on Snow's daughter, who seems to be looking at me in strange intervals, thank god I have my mask on, she can't see my eyes. Next to her sits her mother, and then Snow. Snow's daughter stands and makes her way over to me, she's about the same age and I can tell that she's interested in more than just talking. I look to Blight who, like a true friend and ally, abandons me with the stranger and instead grabs the two nearest good looking Capitol girls he can find and starts chatting them up. I roll my eyes and turn my attention back to the young rose in front of me.

"My Father talks about you a lot." She says with a small smile, brushing her blonde hair over her ear, I'm afraid I'm taken young lass.

"And what does he say?" I reply back, trying to sounds as much like old Seth as possible, I have no interest in Snow becoming my Father-in-law. She taps her chin with her finger, if this is her attempt at being playful she's doing an appalling job at it.

"That you're hard to contain." She says with a small smile, taking a step forward. I instinctively take a step backwards, which causes her to frown, I don't think a man has ever denied her advances before. "What are you doing?"

"What are _you_ doing?" I reply back with a bit of spite. "I'm afraid I'm taken." Her face drops as if she's remembered something, looks like she knows about me and Kate. her cheeks flush red as she scurries away like a rat back to her seat, that's when her mother decides to come over to me, is there a member of the Snow family I haven't met?

"You rejected my daughter's advances, that's a first." Snow's wife is an odd woman, standing tall and proud all in black. Her blonde hair much like her daughters, but she seems to wear it more like a woman than a girl. I don't reply, but instead give a small nod. "My husband has been speaking of you as of late."

"I've heard." I reply back quickly.

"It's good to see a man if your... Opinions... Helping the Capitol in it's time of need." She says with a smile, this woman seems just as evil as Snow, but she's far more charming about it.

"My opinions?" I ask with slightly tilted head, the woman sighs, removes my glasses and mask and hands them back to me. Her movements shock my greatly and I can tell by her face she knows this.

"The people of the Capitol may not be able to see it past that mask you wear but I can." She stares at me with unfaultering eyes, no rage, no happiness, she seems blank. "I know your hatred for the Capitol flows deep through those veins."

"I can assu-"

"No lies." She cuts off, her blank face no changed to one of sheer determination. "You still wear that mask because although you have had your cover repaired, that burnt blood still pumps through your heart, and it always will."

"Did you come here to lecture my on my beliefs, Mrs. Snow?" I ask in my old cold voice, damn it feels good to be bad again.

"I came to tell you that's there more than one interested party in this conspiricy." I raise my eyebrow slightly. "Don't work for my husband, work for me."

"Work for you?" I ask in shock, no one seems to be listening to us but as she walks around me so that my back is facing Snow I can tell that she wants this kept secret. "Now why would you be going against your own husband?"

"We have different views on certain subjects." She says with a small smile. "I want you, before you leave tomorrow, to go to these co-ordinates in the Capitol and eliminate the people inside this building."

"You want me to be an assassin." I say in a harsh tone as she hands me my own holo, this one is green and half the size of the one that was given to Blight.

"You weren't always the Phoenix." She adds with a small frown. "Once, you were the most feared man on all of Panem."

"Bollocks." I reply with a small chuckle. "Snow, is the most feared man in all of Panem."

"Then why did he want _you_?" She asks with that small smile again, she seems to wear this everytime she knows that she's getting to me. "You managed to beat the capitol by defeating it's favourite Tribute, no matter what they threw at you you go back up, and then your speeches..."

"I lied in none of them." I reply, memories flooding back to me of District 12 and 2, the two Districts that I didn't read from Amor's damn cards.

"That's what scares everyone." She replies her smile beaming slightly further. "We can't contain you."

"Snow can." i let my shoulders and head drop as I let out a long sigh. "He knows my weaknesses."

"Your friends?" She asks with a small chuckle, I nod as her fingers come under my chin and lift my eyes to hers, this is something I used to do to Claire when she was in pain. "I can protect them, I just need you to deal with these people, and keep in touch throughout the next six months."

"That's a long time."

"My husband is going to want to have a plan sorted by then, which you and Blight will have to follow to the letter, but you will be following my plan."

"Is Blight aware of this?" I ask with a raised eyebrow, she nods slowly, of course she would have cleared this with my Mentor first.

"Yes, he too wants to bring change."

"Bring change?" That's when it hits my like a train. "You're the spy."

"I am." She replies with a small smile as I laugh to myself.


	9. Burn it Down

"Son of bitch, it's you." I repeat, shaking my head back and forth as the woman in front of me wears a proud smile.

"You'll work for me, because it's working against my husband." She says with that proud smile that makes me laugh a bit louder than I should.

"What makes you think I'll believe you? And why would you work against your husband?" I ask, wiping away the tears that are rolling down my cheeks.

"Because of you." I instantly stop laughing and stare at her deep blue eyes. "You showed the world what the Districts are capable of, and I want freedom for you all."

"Why?" I ask again, this time in a far more serious tone. This is everything I could have wanted before the Games, a chance to fight, but now I have a life back home to protect. She sighs for a moment, bringing her eyes back up to reach mine.

"Claire." Is all she says as my muscles tense instantly. "You and Claire convinced me to act."

"She would have wanted it." I reply, looking down at my overly polished shoes. "But I can't fight if I have Kate."

"I can keep her safe, all I need you to do is act as my assassin, and together we can bring down my husband's regime." She says to me with intense eyes. I think for a moment, before I give my answer.

"What do you need me to do, ma'am?"

* * *

It's one o'clock in the morning as I perch myself on the rooftop of a building, my sword and tomahawk, which Aleron has kindly returned to me with what he calls "a surprise", and my rifle in my hand. I look down at the peacekeepers that walk below me, circling a three story factory with a fence perimeter around it.

"What do you want me to do do?" I ask through the radio installed in my armours helmet.

"There will be a peacekeeper in the building, he'll be in an office, I want you to sneak in and eliminate him." Mrs. Snow's voice comes from over the radio. I hate how she uses the word eliminate, why can't she just be honest about it and say kill?

"How do you want me to do this?" I ask.

"What ever way you want, just don't leave any witnesses." She says back with a small chuckle. That's when Blight's voice comes from over the radio.

"I checked out the files on this building, mummy. There should be sixteen peacekeepers, including the target." is voice is soothing in my ears, last time I had to kill people I had no real support, only the fire to protect a very dear friend. I know that in this mind set I won't be able to kill these people, what if they have families and friends as well? So i do what i never wanted to do, I allow the broken Seth to reappear.

* * *

I lay down on the rooftop and aim at the peacekeepers who are walking in pairs on the entrance of the factory. Luckily my weapon is silenced otherwise I would have the whole Capitol after me. I do what I do best, kill. Firing at the peacekeeper on the left with supreme accuracy then sliding my body around as quick as lightning and fire, killing him too. I chuckle to myself slightly as I grab onto a drain pipe and slide down the four story building and onto the floor with a crash. I then sprint across the road and hide the peacekeepers bodies underneath a spot light, who would look for something in a place that obvious?

Next is the door, there's a large silver sliding door to my side but I need to get through the far more human sized one, which is clearly locked.

"Password." I demand through the radio.

"CF894SG." Mrs. Snow states through the radio as I press the button in on the small keypad to the right of the door. The small red light above the door turns green as I draw my tomahawk and sword. The door slides open and I bring my weapons to either wall with great speed, I hear the sound of two bodies drop as I follow my weapons through the door. Twelve peacekeepers to go. I shut the door behind me and slide behind a one of the many small offices. I grab the bodies and drag them next to me. The inside of this factory is just small rooms that extend quite far ahead, what is this being used for. I know that this is going to be difficult.

I put my weapons away, electing to use my gun for this point instead. I peak my head slowly around the corner and fire at the peacekeeper. He falls to the floor as the round bursts through his chest. Then as another walks around the corner I down him too.

"Freeze!" I hear behind me, shit I've been found. I spin around quickly and fire from the hip, hitting the peacekeeper in the chest. The round breaks through his armour and embeds itself in the wall behind him.

"Lock the building, Snow." I order, she goes to pretest but as I hear the doors lock behind me I know she's doing what i want. Then I hear the sounds of footsteps, this is it.

I stand and begin walking down the long corridor, an older looking man in peacekeeper armour comes from around a corner and screams orders, as he shouts I lift my rifle and fire, but he anticipates my move and jumps to behind a corner, he is my target. A peacekeeper sticks his rifle around the corner to fire at me, I jump to the ground and listen as the bullets fly over my head. He then pokes his head around the corner and I fire, the round breaks through his visor and out the back of his helmet.

I continue to fire, to act as suppressed fire, a trick that Thread taught me, oh if only he could see me firing at his own people right now. Then I hear that dreaded sound, dead man's click. I roll to my right and duck into one of the small offices as the bullets fly down the corridor after me. I place my rifle on my back and draw my sword and tomahawk. The bullets stop flying and I hear footsteps coming at me. Two peacekeepers stand with clubs, they obviously want me as a prisoner.

"From the ashes I rise!" I shout as I flash in a pillar of flames, setting the office on fire. I'm in complete shock as my black weapons ignite as well, that's what Aleron wanted them for. I jump forward at the stunned peacekeepers as the fire catches on the office behind me. I lunge forward with my sword and stab the one peacekeeper through the chest, I then spin my tomahawk but the other catches it with his club. I pull my sword from the now dead peacekeeper and and swing my sword, he parries it and hits my side with the club. As much it hurts I endure through it, kicking him in the leg and then bringing the axe down on his neck, decapitating him much like I had to Ludo.

My target fires a single round and it hits the dead centre of my chest. I fall backwards, luckily the armour has taken to shot but I can tell I'm going to suffer for this one. I crawl into the office opposite the one that has set fire to every other office in it's row and struggle to get the air back in my lungs, the fire off my armour catches onto this office, I'm slowly burning the whole building down.

That's how I can pull this off, I mutter the words to allow the fire to die down. Then I hear a scream as the fire catches even quicker, at least the evidence of my treachery will be hidden. I take a deep breath in and suck up the pain, sprinting around the corner with both weapons drawn, my target had moved forward and as I leap towards him with my axe and sword burying itself in his neck I can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction, for once I'm living up to my titles that these bastards gave me. I slice his throat for good measure and sprint back to the door, there are still peacekeepers in here and I'm happy to let them burn.

"Lock the door behind me!" i scream to Mrs. Snow as I unlock the door and close it behind me. The door locks as I stab my sword into the keypad, this is exactly how a Phoenix should kill his enemies, with fire. I sprint away at high speed as the fire catches around the warehouse behind me.

* * *

My armour's packed away, one of the many things coming back home with me to District 7 that the Capitol has blessed me with. As I sit in my arena clothes with my mask and glasses on at the table, Blight stares at me with intense eyes as I write down the events of the past few days in my small book.

"You haven't been the same since that night, Mummy." He says in a concerned voice. It's only me and him headed home right now, Thread is in his carriage, President Snow wanted him to come back with us for protection, which is utter bollocks.

"It's only been two days." I reply as I carrying on writing in my small book with the phoenix on the front.

"And you've barely spoken since." Blight replies, I put the book and pen back down, fold my arms and stare up to Blight.

"Neither has Thread, his father died recently and you're not concerned about him." I reply in my old cold tone. He's right, since that night I've slowly started turning back into old Seth but I'm not willing to admit it.

"Yeah two days ago in fact, seeing a connection?" He asks, I let my defence drop as I lean forward, placing my elbows on the table and my head in my palms. "The target was Commander Thread, our peacekeeper friend's father."

"I thought peacekeepers aren't aloud children." I mutter into my hands.

"Commander Thread wasn't a saint, or a very good father."

"Shit..." i say, pushing the book away and looking up to Blight. Thread's mother had died during his teens, meaning now he has no one. "I just orphaned the poor bastard."

"Aye, you did." Blight stares into my eyes as I remove my glasses and mask, placing them gently on the table in front of us. "You're not killing kids anymore, this is war now, Mummy."

"I wanted to kill Snow, I didn't want to kill the people who work for him." I reply, rubbing my face with my hands, the new Seth is reemerging now, the Seth who isn't able to kill without thinking of the consequences.

"If you want to kill Snow, you'll need to get your hands dirty." Blight says with a serious expression, yet again he's being wise beyond his years. I let out a long drawn sigh, I hate this feeling, guilt. "And I mean very dirty."

"Then we have to get our hands dirty." I confirm, sliding my book back over to me and staring at the phoenix on the front. "We mention nothing about this, to anyone, at all."

"Of course not." Blight replies, taking an orange from the fruit bowl between us. I follow suit, peeling the strange fruit and biting into the juicy slices. I'm not surprised they had an addiction to oranges these things are bloodly lovely. "I'll hide your armour in my basement."

"Thanks, Blight." I say with a pathetic attempt at a smile, but I know that the small smile of hope me and Blight share in our rare moments like this mean more to both of us than we could both have ever thought. "I couldn't have done this without you."

"You could have, just with far less style." He replies and we both laugh, that same laugh we shared back when President Snow came to my home what seems like years ago, but I know it was only weeks. "So don't worry, you'll be back to your darling soon."

"How come you don't have a darling?" I ask with a small smile. Blight raises an eyebrow to the question. "Never wanted little saplings of your own?"

"Never thought about it, and after the Games I don't think I'd make a good husband or father." He says, picking up a butter knife and dancing it between his fingers with expert dexterity. I chuckle as he gives me a small frown.

"You, good sir, would be a bloody amazing father." I reply, leaning back in my chair and smiling at him. He shoots me a questioning look as i nod to him. "You'd be damn good."

"Who wants father, or husband, who has nightmares most nights?" he asks, zoning out as he stares at the knife dancing in between his finger as if it's acting on it's own thoughts.

"You're not the only one with nightmares, Blight." I reply, staring at the phoenix on the book cover, I know this this monster will be turning up in my dreams tonight, along with Commander Thread.

"You had them worse than me, I'll admit, Mummy." Blight replies with a small smile, he sighs for a moment, sinking into his chair as he lays the knife down on the table with a strange silence. "You do know this conspiracy will get us killed."

"It's worth it." I reply, picking my small book back up and writing in it again, I'm slowly starting to catch up with modern day events, but at the moment I'm writing about my feast in District 1, strange place covered in sprinkles.

"Is it worth Kate and Callum's death?" He asks with a small frown, I stop writing for a moment, unsure on how to answer this question. I take a long drawn sigh and look back up at him with a concerned expression.

"If it helps the Districts, the yes, our deaths are worth it." Blight's frown deepens greatly as my words roll off my tongue.

"As selfless as that it, I haven't heard you speak like this since the arena."Blight looks to me with eyes full of concern. "It's not good, Seth."

"We all have to die eventually, Blight." I close the book and stands from my chair. "I prefer to die for someone rather than for myself."

**A/N: Hey ho, I won't be updating for about a week sorry all, I'm off to a shooting course for the next few days, I'll update with the next chapter as soon as I am able :D **


	10. Sweet Home District 7

I open the door to my house with Kate in one arm and Callum in the other, I drank a bit too much of that strange red liquid for any ones liking, proper Victor I am. Kate sets me down on the chair that Snow sat in, I can't help but adjust myself so I'm not seated in that chair anymore.

"Haven't seen you in nearly three weeks and ya come home drunk, babe?" Kate asks with a large smile plastered across her face. We had thrown ourselves at each other when I got off the train but after the feast I can clearly remember falling into her arms and repeated saying how much I loved her.

"That's gonna sting in the morning." Callum adds, going to the kitchen counter and turning the kettle on. I do nothing but groan as I lay my head down on the table. My mask is over my nose but I can tell that I've put my glasses on upside down. "Ever had a hang over before?"

"I've been hung over a canyon if that counts." I manage to say whilst slurring my words.

"Don't think that counts!" Callum replies as I hear him pouring the boiling water into a cup behind me. I'm pretty sure District 7 wouldn't be able to survive without tea. The tasty beverage made into gods nectar by adding two simple lumps of sugar, utterly brilliant if you ask me, then again this could be the alcohol talking. Callum comes back around to my side and hands me the mug full of that lovely nectar known as... Tea.

"We watched all your speeches." Kate says with a small smile, I smile back and take a sip of my tea. "You did one 'ell of a job."

"Than you, my dear." I lay the cup down on the table. I turn my head to Callum, who takes my glasses off and places them softly next to the mug. I decide that now is the time to take my mask off as it slides off my skin I sigh in relief, the cold air of my house hitting my face like a blanket of calm.

"I'll leave you both to it, fancy doing something tomorrow? If you can stomach it." Callum asks with a massive grin across his face. I return his shot with a quick two fingers up at him, tossing the vick as we call it. He laughs it off and returns to his room, leaving me and Kate alone.

"So how was your Victory Tour?" She asks with a small smile. I take the cup in my hand and take a quick sip.

"Eventful, to say the least." I reply, deciding the gulp the rest of the mug down, god it tasted good. She looks at me with those eyes she used to wear before we were together, prying me for more answers but I remain a closed book.

"Is that it? You haven't been this quiet since..." She trails off for a moment as she stares into my eyes, I avoid her gaze, I know I'm giving myself away but i can't help it. Then I hear her standing from her chair and moving to sit next to me. She takes my hands in hers and lifts my chin so that we're facing each other. "What happened?"

"A lot, darling." I reply with sad eyes, it's probably the alcohol making me this emotional, I know I have to stop it, I can't tell her anything, it may get her killed. I wrap my hands around hers and match her gaze with pleading eyes. "Please, I can't tell you, just trust me."

"Okay." She replies reluctantly. I let out a long sigh of relief, she stands me up and leads me up stairs. I follow in silence, there's not much I can say. When we reach our room she closes the door, removes my shirt and lays me on the bed. "We'll be okay won't we, Seth?"

"We'll be fine." I reply with a small smile as she tucks herself up against my chest. It doesn't take long before my old friend darkness envelopes my vision and I fall into a world of nightmares and memories.

* * *

_This memory, that I'm living now, for once it's not one of the many that filled my night with terror. In fact this is one of those memories that gave me hope. Which is what I need when, at this point, we were only two months away from my reaping._

_I take a small step forward towards the shut down tunnel. District 7 has it's own railway system running beneath the District in order to get supplies around the territory without breaking pathways through the forests. This tunnel happens to be the most northern tunnel you can find in the District, and as such it is also the coldest. I step onto the tracks, allowing myself a quick moment to peer into the darkness._

_"Ya would have thought they could take care of themselves, agreed lads?" William jokes as he leans against the large concrete arch that makes up the tunnel. It's rumoured that this tunnel system goes under the fence and into the frozen lands up north, but no one has the balls to check._

_"Feels nice, getting paid a decent wage by the Capitol." John replies as he steps down with his bow loaded and ready. He shoots me a small smile. "Makes a change."_

_"What we hunting?" William asks, turning his attention to me. I hate how they see the silent one as their leader, if I don't speak why should I be responsible for their lives?_

_"Bats." I reply sharply, preferring not to speak to either of them. Even if they are my hunting partners, for the time being that is, they are only here because if the peacekeepers can't bring this thing down then neither can I._

_"Is that it, lad?" William asks, chuckling to himself as he steps into the mouth of the tunnel. His arrogance is what gets hunters killed, but he's not my responsibility. "You need us to kill a few bats?"_

_"I think he means big bats." John adds, the mason family always seem to be the level headed ones. John takes a deep breath in and sighs. "What's the plan? I'd say we lure them out."_

_"Bats work off sound ya know." William adds with a proud grin. Pride, arrogance, many things that have got our fellow hunters killed in this District. The "big man" believes he can take down a bear, the bear turns on the big man, the big man is no more. I lay down on the track and load the crossbow with one of the several bolts in the quiver on my back. I give a quick nod and William starts to whistle loudly and sharply, I'm quite impressed that he can make such an echo._

_"That should get their attention." John adds with a small smile, drawing the string on his bow back. Everything goes silent for a moment, then we hear it. A series of clicks and the sounds of claws scraping on concrete. I feel a sense of relaxation flow over my body, the threat of death often does this to me, I swear that's not normal. I mean, if I look at both John and William I can see their muscles tensing and their pupils shrinking, why am I the only one who enters this state? "Incoming!"_

_The human sized bat lunges from the darkness and it land in front of me, I fire upwards as the bolt embeds itself into the creatures ribcage. It screeches as it rears, none of us can help ourselves, we clasp our hands over our ears and scream along with the monster. It takes off into the air and circles above us, violently shaking itself back and forth. John is the one to bring the creature down, he winces as he removes his hands from his ears, aims his bow and fires into the air. The arrow passes straight through the bats head as it circles down through the air in an eerie silence._

_"Nicely done, Mason!" William shouts with a large grin over his face, I chuckle along as I roll over onto my back and relish our small victory. "See, you even got Bandages here laughing!"_

_"I aim to please." John says with a large smile, which is instantly stopped when we hear more screeches coming from the cave. This time hundred of smaller bats, the size of dogs, fly out of the cave.I spread my body across the floor while the other two jump to either side of the tunnel, pinning themselves to the wall. The bats fly into the air and disperse in different directions. "That's a lot."_

_"The Tin-men could have dealt with them, why did they need our wee help?" William asks, then I notice his face change expression. He's realised something, and I'm afraid I'm on the same path as he is. William rips a piece of cloth from his hunting bag, wraps it around an arrow and with draws a small box of matches. I stand, and reload my crossbow. As he lights the match I instinctively take a step back and feel my muscles tense, I'm in the same boat as them now. The arrow ignites and I nearly stumble backwards._

_"You okay?" John asks with a concerned frown. I nod quickly and shoulder my crossbow, indicating I'm ready for the worst. William fires his arrow down the tunnel. It flies straight and true, straight down the tunnel, lighting the area as it goes, all three of us gasp in horror as we see thousand of the dogs sized bats, spreading their wings and snarling their fangs._

_"Oh bollocks." Is all John manages to say as the three of us turn and sprint away, placing our weapons onto our backs so we can sprint quicker. We're two days walk away from the Justice Building, and as such the Head Peacekeeper. The three of us sprint as fast as we can along the track, no trains are coming this way when you have an entire tunnel full of those little bastards. We hear them shriek behind us, then suddenly I feel my leg being pulled above my head, I fall to my face with a crack as I smack the floor, I pull the crossbow from my back as I spin and aim from the hip. The bat that has my leg refuses to let go as it tries desperately to lift me off the ground, I fire into it's head, the arrow breaks through the other side as the bastards body falls down to the floor.I go to kick it off but the creatures teeth are firm in my leg, even though they haven't broken the skin the muscles have contracted so well that it feels like a vice._

_"I'll hold 'em off." William shouts, firing arrows as quick as possible into the air, this seems to cause some of the bats to stop attacking as they circle above us. John rushes up to me, places both hands around the creature mouth and yanks with such force that i hear the bat's jaw bone snap. He throws it to his right as I jump back up to me feet. William shouts loudly at them and it seems to put them off, John does the same and the bats start shaking their heads, losing their ability to navigate. I smack the butt of the crossbow repeatedly, preferring not to shout. After a few minutes of this the creatures finally surrender, spinning back into the tunnel at high speed. _

_This act of protection, was the first time anyone other than Callum had ever thrown themselves in the firing line for me, and as we made our way along the tracks I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread that I now owe these people my life._

* * *

I slowly rise from my bed, Kate is still hooked against my chest and as I run my hand through her hair I can't help but smile to myself. Suddenly it hits me, a massive ache in my head. Is this what a hangover feels like? If it is I think I would prefer the bullet that embedded itself in my armour a few nights ago. A glass of water is next to me with a small note and white pill:

Drink this and take this, you'll need it.

Regards, Blight and Callum

I place the small pill in my mouth and gulp down the water. It takes mere seconds for the fizzy feeling to hit my stomach, filling my body with a severe sense of nausea. What the hell have I just taken? Then, all of a sudden, the fizz stops and my headache disappears. I sit stationary for a moment, not sure on what to do. Then I slowly slide out of bed, lowering Kate into a blissful ball on our bed. I smile as I slide a pair of my arena trousers on and begin walking down the staircase. There at my table, eating another fucking orange, is Blight.

"Good morning, Mummy." Blight says, taking a piece of the juicy fruit and dropping it into his mouth. He tosses me my mask and glasses, which I slide on instantly. "I see you took the pill."

"I needed it." I reply, making my way over to the kettle and filling it with water. "Thank you for that."

"It was my pleasure, you're armour and weapons are at my house by the way." Blight says with a chuckle from behind me. I place the kettle onto boil and turn to face him, resting my elbows on the counter behind me.

"You even have my rifle?" I ask in slight confusion, Blight nods happily.

"Silencer is on it and everything, Snow wants you to use it for hunting now, the peacekeepers have been informed." I laugh quietly and Blight laughs along with me, does Snow realise he's arming his enemy?

"Why does he wanting me using it?" I ask with a hint of sarcasm.

"We don't want you getting shit now, do we?" He asks with a large grin plastered on his face. "But I'm sure your good friend Thread will keep you in line."

"How long is he here for?" I ask in a concerned tone, I'm not sure what is reaction will be if he finds out I killed his Father but I'm sure it won't end well for either of us.

"Until we're done I'm guessing." Blight replies, taking a quick glance out the window. The snow had fallen over night, leaving a thick layer of freezing snow that I can't help but smile at. Back when I was a hunter I used to have mixed feelings about the snow, it allowed me to track nearly everything, but it also made staying warm a hell of a lot harder, and cold air plays havoc on every-ones lungs.

"What's on the agenda today?" I ask with a small smile, even though I know it's hidden behind my mask. Blight frowns slightly, I'm not going to enjoy this.

"Snow's orders, he wants you having a meeting with the peacekeepers." Blight says with a small sigh afterwards. The kettle makes it's signature ping and I turn and begin preparing my cuppa. "Snow thinks there's informants in the District, he's branching out."

"See it as a good sign, it means he doesn't suspect the real spy." I reply, picking up my cup and proceeding to sit opposite of Blight. "Unless we have informants in the District."

"Then we'll have a problem, we'll be killing our own guys." Blight frowns at his realisation. "You need to get hold of Mrs. Snow."

"I'll get to-"

"Informants?" I hear a voice call from my right. I sigh for a moment, I know exactly who it is.

"How long have you been standing there?" I ask, turning my attention to a cross armed figure.

"Long enough, I thought we told each other everything, Seth."

"Not when it can get you killed, Callum."


	11. Control

I step out into the snow with Callum at my side, even though it's freezing I don't want my jacket, I need the cold to calm my temper.

"Tell me what's going on, Seth." Callum orders with a frown. This is none of his concern, and I don't want him getting hurt or killed because I dragged him into a war he didn't even know was happening. I sigh deeply, glaring at him with eyes hidden behind black glass.

"Nothing that concerns you."

"Nothing that concerns me!?" He practically screams back at me, I don't want him waking Kate up so I slide my foot behind his, grab his mouth and slam Callum into the round like a hammer on a nail. The impact knocks the air out his lungs as I dig my knee onto his chest, I need old Seth right now.

"Listen." I start, cold and calculating. "If you get involved, you die."

"I'm living in the same house as you, I'm already involved! Kate is involved, your two hunter friends are involved, the Butcher is involved. Fuck, everyone is involved, Seth! The whole of District 7 is caught up in your plan and you don't have a fucking clue what you are doing!" I ease the pressure from my knee so he can breath easier. He's right, for someone who's meant to be able to think outside the box and calculate all possibilities I haven't thought of the largest threat, District 7 itself. If I get caught, District 7 will pay it's weight in blood to appease Snow for our sins.

The realisation hits me rather hard and i can't help but stand and take a few steps away from Callum, panting as the images of fire and blood flood my mind again. Since I've been given my mission i have been in control, I felt like I had a purpose and a purpose keeps me sane, but my purpose is a danger to everything I care about.

"I need..." I stutter for a moment, staring down at my hands and trying to control the pain that shoots through my mind. This can't be happening, I can't slip away not now, not ever. Come on, Seth you're stronger than this! I rush into my house as the door flings open I grasp onto the wood of my table. I dig my fingers in, focusing on the physical pain rather than the mental, but it doesn't work. As I look up to a concerned Blight my mind drifts away, and an image of Ludo appears behind him, sword raised above his head. I freeze in place, this can't be happening, Ludo's dead, I killed Ludo. I watch as Ludo brings the sword down on Blight's neck and I collapse to the floor in a sobbing heap, trying to hide the thought of Ludo's revenge.

* * *

When I come around again I'm laying in my bed. The window is open and I rest gently upon the quilt. I'm still dressed and I'm not sure how I got here. This must be what it feels like to wake from coma, utter confusion. That's when the door opens and I smile to myself as I watch her graceful silhouette move slowly towards me.

"What happened?" I ask with a small frown, last thing I can remember is... No, I'm not falling into that mental trap again. I know how I got here and I refuse to fall prey to my weaknesses yet again.

"You 'ad a breakdown." She says, smiling ever so slightly and sitting next to me with our hips touching. She wraps her arms around me shoulders and rests her head against my neck. "Callum said you've been under a lot of stress lately, I'm assuming it's the Tour."

"Aye." I reply with a small smile. Callum hasn't told her about my little revolution then, and I'm glad of it, I don't want Kate being caught in a war. Hell, I didn't want Callum directly involved, but now I see I'm going to need all the help I can get. I can't assassinate President Snow on my own. Hell, I can't even control my own thoughts. "Tour has been hell."

"I didn't expect it to be anything else, babe." She kisses my cheek lightly, or at least the mask covering my chin, then using her fingers to pull my chin so that my face and hers are nearly against each other. I don't know where I would be without this girl. My reliance on her, although essential, fills me with a sense of pain, I used to be so independent. "Well it's all over now."

"It's never over, darling, I have to go to the Capitol again in six months." I sigh afterwards and rest my forehead against her head. "I'm sorry I have to put you through this."

"Hey..." She starts, lifting my mask over my nose and kisses my lips softly. "I signed up for this, it's not your fault."

"I can't put you before the Games." I state in a croaky voice. She frowns with concern. What I said was true, I can't put her before the Games and my duty that I have accepted, if I'm called to the Capitol I must go, if Mrs. Snow needs me for an assassination, I must leave. "I have a job to do now, darling."

"I know." She sighs slightly as her eyes half shut, then flutter back open as she smiles at me. "We'll get through it, I'm not letting you off that easy."

"I should hope not." I say back with a small, planting a small kiss on her lips and standing from the bed. I look out the window and up to the sun, it must be about twelve o'clock, shit I have to be with the peacekeepers. "I need to go, darling, I'll see you this evening."

"Stay safe!" She calls behind me as I pull my mask down and make my way from the house.

* * *

I step into the head peacekeepers office, he's not here at the moment so it's surprisingly quiet, the only two people here are Blight and Thread, both sitting in an awkward silence. Next to Blight is my armour and weapons, I'm glad I can rely on him, I had completely forgotten about them.

"I heard you were having problems, soldier." Thread states, looking up at me from the desk that he is sitting behind. I ignore the comment and walk up beside the desk, sitting on top of it and crossing my arms. Blight sits at the desk next to it, my sword laid across his lap.

"What are we doing?" I ask in a cold tone. I really don't want to have to explain my mental anguish to a fucking peacekeeper.

"Your job." Thread replies, pointing at the armour seated by a distracted Blight's side. "You're going to help with the security of District 7." Oh hell I am the fucking peacekeeper.

"You're asking me to be a peacekeeper?" I ask in shock with a dropped jaw. If he thinks I'm joining his little squad of murderers he's got another thing coming, most likely my fist.

"No," thank god he's got some sense, "and at the same time yes." Oh fuck off!

"What are the terms?" I ask with gritted teeth, I really don't like the idea of this. Claire said to me once that the peacekeeper life would suit me, which it would, if they were actually fighting for something with at least a shred of honour hidden amongst it. Thread leans forward on his elbows.

"You will use your day to hunt the animals that come into the District. You will gather information about any ideas of revolution within the District, and you will discover the District 7 informant." I tilt my head slightly.

"There's an informant in District 7?" I ask as genuine as possible, I just hope to god that I can uphold my act, if Thread were to find out the truth it would get me and everyone I hold close to my heart killed. Thread nods slowly, a serious expression setting across his face like freezing ice.

"Not all you kin are honest as you once though." He nearly spits "kin" at me as he speaks. I nod weakly, there may very well be informants within the District that I haven't heard about, if so I need to stop this individual from suffering Thread. "I want you to go around town to start, people are more likely to trust you than I."

"How are we going to go about this?" I ask, turning to Blight so he knows my question is directed at him. Blight stares at the floor with a small frown for a moment, he does this when he's forming a plan. After a few seconds his brow smooths and he looks up to me.

"We'll play it natural, talk to the people of the District. Maybe the Butcher knows something?" He offers to me. Even though Blight is playing this cool I can tell by the way he's running his hand along the blade that he's nervous, but surely Thread won't notice that? Blight's idea is also quite a good one, the Butcher has connections with nearly everyone in this District, his meat can be found all across the north.

"Sounds good." I reply, giving a quick twitch of my head to indicate I want to leave. Blight smiles slightly, places the sword next to his chair and stands.

"You taking your weapons?" Blight asks with a small smile, a small fake smile. I stare down at the blade for a moment, that blade has killed so many, and it will kill many more before my days come to an end.

"Of course." I say back with a small smile. He hands me my tomahawk and sword first, which I slide over my shoulder with ease, then my rifle which seems to clip into place as I tighten the sling as I place it over my torso. I turn my attention to Thread, give him a respectful nod, then walk from the room with Blight just behind me.

* * *

I step outside and into the cold air, the snow has fallen over the ground like a thick white blanket and I catch myself smiling as the sunlight shines from the cold embrace like stars. Blight stands beside me, frowning and shaking his head back and forth.

"How are we going to do this?" He asks with a concerned expression which I can read from the corner of my eye. I don't need to look at him, all I do is withdraw my holo and extend it in front of him.

"We speak to our employer."

* * *

"I'm sorry ma'am, but we needed your help right away." I start, resting my hands on the table as I speak to the hologram of Mrs Snow floating above the holo. She frowns slightly, probably at the use of the word ma'am.

"Speak up, Phoenix, what is it?" She asks impatiently, by the looks of it she's rather tired so I'm assuming she has only just woken up. I look to Blight for a moment, who shoots me back a concerned look. Then I turn my attention to Callum, sitting at the end of the table waiting for the worst. Luckily Kate decided she wanted to visit the Butcher today so we took the opportunity to call the Boss somewhere more private, except Callum wouldn't leave. I take a deep breath in, she's not going to be too impressed with this.

"Snow knows there's informants in the District." I say bluntly. The creases on her face deepen as she absorbs the information, this isn't going to end well. For a moment she remains silent, before sighing.

"Okay, you need to know the informants?" Mrs. Snow asks with a small frown, I nod slowly. "I only know them by their last names; William, Lumber, and Fall." William, shit, how did William get involved in this? This is going to make my job even harder than I thought. "Will I need replacements?"

"Not if I can help it." I snap back, I can't let anyone of these three suffer for my idea. I can't have them hurt over my personal vendetta with Snow.

"I could do it." Callum speaks up, I shoot him a glare through the mask but he ignores me, staring straight at Mrs. Snow. "I volunteer." He says, turning his head to face me as he crosses his arms. I can't argue with that, I volunteered to help him, now he's volunteering to help me. No matter what happens between us, that brotherly bond will always remain strong it seems.

"Thank you, Callum, your help will be appreciated." Mrs. Snow says with a small smile, the turns her attention back to me. "Keep these people alive, we're going to need them."

"Yes, Ma'am." I reply, presses the button so her hologram fades away and leaves a shocked Blight in her place. I sigh, resting my hands on the table as I turn my head to Callum. "That was foolish."

"You volunteered once before, I can't leave the debt unpaid." He replies, looking down at Claire's ring that wraps around his finger. "I heard you, you know, when you had that dream about Snow."

"What do you mean?" I ask in a confused and soothing tone, I'd prefer not to get into a screaming fest with him, no matter how stupid he has just been.

"When you were talking to yourself in the mirror, make them pay for it, the words you said." I sigh and fall onto my chair with a cold chill sliding down my spine.

"Claire, she said them first." I mutter, looking up at Blight who has seemed to have read my mind, for he's gone to the kitchen and slid a small half pint glass over to me, followed by a bottle of whiskey. "She had a nightmare, and those were the last words I said to her. They were also Hasta's last words. Ironic, ai? My lasts words were actually his."

"Here here." Blight adds, opening the whiskey bottle an pouring both me and him a drink, he looks to Callum, who just lifts his hand and shakes his head. It's rare my and Blight turn to alcohol, but when we do it's for a good reason. "They would have been proud of you, Seth."

"Proud? Proud of what?" I ask with a half-arsed laugh as I pull my mask above my nose and gulp the burning liquid down my throat. I exhale deeply to allow myself the pleasure of not puking the whiskey back up onto the table. "Proud of the fact I've killed Tributes? Peacekeepers? I orphaned Thread, Blight!"

"And you'll orphan more of the bastards." Blight replies with a stern expression, I know he's serious about all this. "Those fuckers make us live in a hell hole, and I ain't standing for it."

"I don't like it either, but we're going to get everyone killed!" I shout back, grabbing the bottle of whiskey and downing as much as I can in one gulp.

"You didn't care about that before!"

"I care now! Okay? I've got people I need to protect, Blight." I say to him with a croaky voice, I haven't cried since the Games and I sure as hell won't cry now. "If things were different, if I didn't have people I wouldn't be this fucking conflicted!"

"Instead of thinking about what we'll lose, thing about what we'll gain." Callum chips in, his silence had been expected but his sudden change of tone has surprised me greatly. "We can finally be free of this, brother."

"I know we can." I reply with a long drawn sigh afterwards. "But I'd hate to see either of you, or anyone for that matter, get hurt because of me."

"We signed up for this." Blight replies with a small smile. "Let's make them pay for it."


	12. Raising an Army

Davies, William, and Callum sit opposite me. Each with their elbows on my table and a cup of tea in their hands. I scan all three of them, I couldn't imagine any of these three being soldiers but I think everyone knew I would start with my first comment:

"How the fuck did you get involved in this shit?" I direct at William a small frown. My mask and glasses are on the table in front of me so i can seem that tiny bit more human. He shrugs smugly to me, which I can't help but grin at.

"Well, the peacekeepers arrested me." He starts, scratching his beard with a raised eyebrow. "And then I received a letter, turns out that my hunting connections with you came in handy."

"Came in handy?" I question, William grins for a moment. "She hired you from in jail?"

"You should have seen the tin-fucks face when he was ordered to let me go!" Williams laughs to himself, wiping away a tear as the images come flooding back to him in one swoop. He is, by far, the luckiest bastard in this entire District. "I swear, he looked like he was going to kill me just because of my massive grin!"

"Consider yourself lucky." Blight adds from behind me as he walks from the kitchen with a mug of coffee in one hand and an orange in the other. "Not everyone has your fortune."

"Hey, if I was lucky I wouldn't have got arrested in the first place!"

"Can't argue with that." I add, facing Blight with a hidden grin behind my face. Blight glares to me, but his stern expression quickly dissolves into a small grin.

I turn back to the three across the table and begin filling them in on everything that's happened over the past few months. Callum seems to nod along, as if everything that I'm explaining has been answering his unasked questions that have built since I've excepted the mantle of the Phoenix.

"That's why you've been acting so weird." Callum says, mainly to himself, as he folds his arms and nods slowly. I raise an eyebrow which he quickly answers to. "Me and Kate have been noticing you've been... Off... Recently."

"Did I make it that obvious?" I ask with a small smile. Callum smiles back to me.

"That mask doesn't hide everything, brother." He says back to me with a small smile, I smile back and turn my attention to Blight, who has my holo in his hand.

"Listen in boys, this is what we do." He states in an authoritative voice. We all gather as images of maps and people fly from the small device. He rushes through about the new information that we'll be receiving. I listen to every detail, trying to memorise everything for the others as well, I feel responsible for these men and I won't have them killed on my watch.

Most of my brief from the holo included gathering information from the peacekeepers and trying to conjure false evidence to disprove everyone in this room from being the spy. The irony that the spy they are hunting is the person they've hired made me chuckle to myself. The others must see me as psychotic for my twisted humour.

* * *

Finally our brief concludes and everyone leaves to get on with their "jobs", leaving me alone at long last. I simply walk through my house for a time, lost in thought as I wander the halls of the mini-mansion that was given to me as a reward for my murders. I know I have a job to do, but right now I don't want to kill, I want life. So at my first chance I jog out of my house and make my way straight to the Butcher.

"Ahhh, Seth my boy!" He calls to me in his cheery voice.

"You seen Kate?" I ask with a small sense of urgency. The Butcher gives me a small smile as he points behind me. I spin on my heels are find her standing outside of the Butchers in the snow, her hands behind her back and a concerned expression plastered onto her face.

"Everything okay, babe? It's not eveni-" I cut her off by throwing my arms around her and planting my lips against hers. For a moment she's too stunned to kiss back, but after a few seconds her arms wrap around my chest and I feel her lips move with mine. "Everything okay?"

"Everything is fine." I reply with a large grin as I spin her so she's at my side and my arm is wrapped protectively around her waist. She smiles to me as we both walk in the direction of the Victor Village.

"So you're..." She looks at me with those concerned eyes that I crave for. It's hard to think that only a year ago I had pushed her advances away, now I'm the one crawling to her, yearning for her attention like a child.

"I'm fine, my darling, I just needed to see you." I say back with a small smile. She stares at me for a moment as we walk, what's grasping her attention so much? That's when I notice what it is. My mask. Shit I left my mask back home. Judging by the grin growing over her face she's clocked that I've worked out what's making her smile.

"Told you that you'd leave it 'ome eventually." She says in her soothing tone, tucking herself under my arms as we slowly walk together. I instantly feel self conscious about the fact that the cold air is hitting my face and I don't have my fabric shield to cover it. She removes herself from my side and steps in front of me, walking backwards and using my body language to determine where to turn. "You still need it, babe?"

"I may always need it." I reply with a small sigh.

"I know you will, but for now, lets go home and sit by the fire, ai?" She asks with a small smile, taking my hands and pulling me ever so slightly. I don't resist, some time alone with Kate may be exactly what I need right now.

"I think I'd like that." I reply with a small smile, dragging her in for a quick kiss. She pulls away and before I can react I'm hit in the face by a snowball. Kate pulls away from me, laughing rather loudly and sprinting ahead of me. The Gate to the Victor's village in about two hundred metres ahead, following a long path that cuts through the woods and to the Village which, in itself, is actually cut out of the treeline. I know I can win this, and decide to sprint through the forest at lightning pace, bounding off the terrain with the grace of a cougar in the hunt.

Before I know it I'm closing in on the fence, it must be ten foot high! It doesn't phase me, instead I leap at the fence and pull myself over in one fluid movement. Landing on the other side with a roll and grasping the snow as I land. Kate is still running towards the gate, but I don't think she's realised I had faded into the woods. As she approaches the Village I spin from behind the fence and throw the ball of snow directly at her. She goes to scream but the snowball smacks her in the face and she stumbles backwards. Being the concerning boyfriend that I am, I burst out laughing and fall onto the floor in a pile of hysterics.

As a compose myself Kate comes and stands next to me, with a disapproving look over her face with bits of snow covering it. This just makes me laugh all over again and she can't help but join in. She extends a soft hand to me and I accept it gratefully as I wipe the tears away from my face with the other hand, this must be the first time I've ever cried from laughing.

"Lets get you 'ome." She whispers as she plants another kiss against my lips. The warmth of her body flows through mine, sparking that feeling I get whenever we make any form of contact.

We both walk into the house hand in hand. We break contact for a moment as I walk into the living room, an area we rarely use as the kettle is stored in the kitchen, and get a fire going. It doesn't take me long and using the skills I picked up in the Games it's almost rhythmical. I smile to myself as the fire catches, but as it doesn I feel my muscles tense with that building sense of fear. Before I know it Kate it behind me, slowly soothing the muscles in my shoulder as I become entranced by the fires gliding across the wood so effortlessly.

Fire has always had that strange effect on me, ever since I was caught in it all those years ago. I'm equally fascinated and petrified by it. Surely it has kept me alive and warm, and without it I would have frozen to death countless times over; but I've also used fire for more evil purposes. I've used fire in to kill people, I've used fire as a symbol, I really am embraced by fire, and I do all those so others after me won't have to be. If I ever succeed, then my flames won't be passed on to anyone.

"What's going on, babe?" She whispers into my ear in a soothing tone. I feel my body go rigid, I can't hide from her now. She turns me to face her, the fires scratches at my back, filling me with the dread that I truly am trapped. I haven't felt this trapped since my skirmish with Ludo. She looks straight into my eyes, I have to come clean.

"I don't know what you'll think of me when I tell you." I admit with a sad tone, this is why she wanted me to come home. She wanted, no, needed to speak to me alone.

"Babe, I won't think any less of you."

"Oh but you will." I reply in my old cold tone. My skin is itching for my mask right now, even though the Capitol fixed my face it is still more important to me than any sword or shield.

"No, I won't." She replies sternly her face growing contorted as her concern deepens. I go to speak but no words come from my mouth, finally I take a deep breath and exhale slowly.

"Sit down, darling, we may have to talk for a while."


	13. Spring Time Army

When I finish the fire dies down to embers. Kate stares at me for a moment, disbelief covers her face and I know that I could lose her so easily right now. If I say one word wrong she'll pick up and leave, she'd prefer to starve than share a bed with a monster.

"That's everything?" She asks in a tone not too different to my own. I nod weakly, preferring not to have to speak my mind right now. As my head drops to my chest I feel two light fingers beneath my chin, pulling me back up. I stare into her eyes as she wears a small smile, the one she wears when trying to hold herself together. Then the unexpected happens, she pulls me to her and merges my lips with hers. When we both pull away she smiles. "Go get 'em, my soldier."

xxx

The months fly quickly and winter soon turns into spring. My team remains the same, Kate has been kept out of it and I've kept her knowledge of this small rebellion away from the rest of the team, I don't want her getting killed if something goes wrong.

I sit happily on the steps outside my house, watching as the birds fly through the Victors Village with their aerodynamic manoeuvres. i sigh happily, allowing the warm air to flow around me as I lean back onto my rifle. I hadn't had chance to hunt any real game this winter, but come summer I'll be able to feed most the District with this one weapon.

I look over to my left and watch as Callum makes his way up to the house through the large gates. "I've found nothing."

"Again?" I question through my mask as I watch him move to the front of the house. "No useful weaknesses in the fence? No good areas to use as a forward oper-"

"Nothing." Callum cuts me off again, un-holstering his crossbow and lowering it to his side. Since he's joined my team I've taught him how to hunt, it gives him an excuse to be travelling the District days at a time and allows for him to bring some food back to the people who need it. "I can't find anything up north, have we tried south?"

"It's no use, southern border is covered in peacekeepers, we need somewhere to sneak people in and out." I say to him, and myself, as I lean forward and rest my chin in my hand. A hole in the fence isn't the problem, animals make plenty of them and they are constantly being repaired, but we need a hole that will allow us to sneak what is practically a small army into the District without it being to difficult for soldiers to navigate the ground.

"I'm not sure about the north then, the whole area above the District is a sheet of ice, we'd all freeze to death." He lowers himself onto the floor next to me and lets out a long drawn sigh. "You would have thought the warm air would melt the snow, but nothing."

"The northern border is very far north." I mutter as I watch a small bee fly between us at high speed. Callum smiles for a moment before looking back to me.

"Told her yet?"

"No."

"You need to."

"We've spoken about this, I don't." I lie to him. It used to be Callum could tell when I was lying, but I've become good at it since I've started my crusade against President Snow. Callum shrugs.

"Suit yourself, anyway, there's a group of deer migrating from the south east, should be here in a few days." He says to me with a hopeful smile, I don't bother correcting him on the fact that the correct term is herd. Honestly, I found correcting people on the minor details like this is just being dickish. "If you fancy going on a hunt."

"I'll ask Mason and William if they want to first." I reply, looking through him and to the budding flowers behind. William has been the most helpful the past few months, he's been giving me constant updates on peacekeeper equipment and patrols, and all of this has been directed back to Mrs. Snow, who has given it to the outside party that has yet to be mentioned.

"We could go, just me and you, we haven't gone on a hunting trip in months." He says with a faint hint of pleading. Callum's love for hunting has only grown since I made him a crossbow, and he's been wanting me to teach him all my tricks since day one. I'll never tell him all my secrets.

"There's been nothing to hunt." I reply with a small smile, even though I know it's hidden behind black fabric.

"We could go hunting bears." He says with a small smile, I roll my eyes as he mentions it. Last time I saw anything that even resembled a bear it was on fire. "Okay, maybe not bears."

"You won't get much in the winter." I say bluntly, turning my attention to the Victor's Village gate. Ivy has grown in complicated spirals through the metal and small white flowers have began sprouting from the thin foliage.

"Not when everything has buggered off." Callum adds cheerfully as he hoists himself from the floor and extends a hand to me. I stare at it for a moment, before finally placing my hand in his and using my other free hand to grasp my rifle and turn it into a make-shift walking stick. I then spin the weapon around on my hand and grasp the scope so that I am holding it perfectly horizontally. "Show off."

"I'm rusty, that's all." I reply humbly. A lesson I have learnt, and will always stick to, is that those who think to highly of themselves will be thrown to the ground by those who walk upon it. A strange quote, and one that was told to me a long time ago, and it took even longer for it's meaning to actually sink in. Those who don't respect their enemies potential are in for one nasty surprise after the other.

"Rusty my arse!" Callum retorts with a small chuckle as the two of us make our ways back into the house, where Kate is waiting for us both. She smiles as we both walk through the door and rest our weapons against the door way. It didn't take long for the District to learn of my new firearm and I have given up trying to hide it.

"Afternoon boys." She says with a large grin over her face, withdrawing two cuts of steak and salad from the counter on the table. With the amount of money that comes into the house she doesn't need to work, so she's taken up several different hobbies instead; including cooking, hunting, and the violin, the last one she frequently attempts to teach me. "What are you up to today?"

"Going down to town to help out with what we can." Callum replies with his normal lie and smile. He still doesn't know that Kate knows his lie, and she plays on his lie perfectly, making it seem like she knows nothing.

"Oh? Who you helping today?" She asks with a small wink to me as she moves to the other side of the kitchen and withdraws a knife from the cupboard. That's another thing I forgot to mention! She now throws knives. Callum plays the situation in his normal cool act. It's all rather impressive when you know that they are both playing each other, and all to protect the other.

"The Butcher as far as I'm aware?" Callum asks, turning his attention to me as he sits at the table. I follow his example and sit opposite him, lifting my mask over my nose as I begin to cut my food.

"Aye, we're going to be hunting for him." I reply with a small smile as I place the tender steak into my mouth and begin chewing. Even though I haven't had to deal with starvation in months, and my hunting activities often kept me with a full stomach to be honest, I never feel that I deserve this meal for not killing it myself; and because another Tribute should be eating it right now, but she can't.

"I'll just have to stay here, and play my violin. You're welcome to join me later." She says with a large smile beaming across her face. It took Blight a few string pulls to get her that instrument, mainly because we said it was to be my talent to help the upcoming Tributes of District 7, but the two Snow's both know that it's all just a cover.

"I'd love to, darling, but I may be sparring with Blight later." I reply with my usual small smile, which I have been wearing more and more as me and Kate merge together as one. I can honestly feel my mask slowly starting to become a burden rather than a shield.

"That's fine by me." She says with a large smile back as I wolf down the food in front of me. This one isn't a lie, I'm actual going to see Blight later, but not about sparring, more about planning how we can use the twenty civilian soldiers who have united under our secret banner.

"I'll be home soon, okay?" I ask with a small smile as I get up from my finished plate and plant a kiss onto her soft lips. She releases me from her seductive grasp with a small wink and pats the side of my waist.

"Go get 'em." She says with a small smile as I beckon Callum over. He comes to my side and the two of us exit the house and begin our long walk down to the town centre.

xxx

"Get to work." I order the ten men under my command, William being one of them, to start their rounds. Officially they are my hunting team. Much like my Father before me, it is my job to keep the gates safe. It also my job to gather information for President Snow, and it also my job to inform him with false information, complicated process if you account faking physical evidence.

"They're all sorted, where we going?" Callum asks with a small smile. I I look to him through my glasses and tilt my head ever so slightly, he merely raises an eyebrow. "You're bull-shitting."

"Serious." I reply with a small chuckle, he's been dreaming of this moment since we started our small espionage programme.

"We're going outside of the fence?" He asks with a large grin. He may be loving this moment, but I've been dreading it. After the war, nearly every single Capitol monster decided to travel north, and as such the forests of the northern border are known for being covered in snow all year around and full of beasts of all breeds. So far I haven't seen the same apex predator there each year around, that makes seventeen different monsters which can easily kill a man.

"Aye, that we are." I reply in my old cold tone and head for the peacekeepers office. In order to for me to travel quickly I have been given four horses, one for me, one for Blight, and two for who ever may need it.

I walk to the side of my large black stallion, rather suiting if you ask me, and swiftly mount the leather saddle that wraps around the creature. Callum mounts the brown horse next to it and the two of us begin riding at high speed towards the northern border.

In my head I know we need this, Mrs. Snow needs a place to store troops so that they can be easily moved, and so far there's nothing suitable in the District; so we need to, quite literally, think outside the box. Yet in my heart I know this feels wrong, so far everything beyond the walls of the District has done nothing but bring pain and miserly to all those within it.

So with a heavy heart, and after an hour of hard riding, we finally reach the weakest point in the fence of the northern border that sits on top of a large waterfall, which is what makes it unsuitable for a large number of troops to move in and out of the District. When we finally swim underneath the small cave that leaders from the river and under the District fence, I can't help but feel all my sense rise, I'm outside the fence, Callum is behind, beyond this point is nothing but snow and death.


	14. Beyond the Borders

We trudge carefully through the snow, both of us trying to make as little noise as possible. So far we've only walked a mile and already we've seen an eagle the size of a man and a group of deer being chased by one of those strange bear creatures that killed my family all those years ago, I'd rather not go into detail of how long it too Callum to pull me from my petrified trance upon seeing the monster.

"This could be a good spot." Callum points with his bow towards a large clearing in the woods. I take a moment and inspect it. The clearing isn't too far into the woods, meaning troops could get back to base rather easily, yet at the same time it's not so close that it would be instantly spotted by anyone foolish enough to travel this far north without a good reason.

"I have to agree." I state back, although I'm sure we'd find better places if we searched more I'd prefer to escape back to the warm woods rather than this frozen hell hole. I withdraw my small holo from my pocket and hold it at arms length, pressing the button on the side. "Ma'am?"

"Good afternoon, Seth, have you found a suitable area for an FOP?" She asks with a small smile as I watch her take a sip of her coffee. Why she doesn't just call this base of hers a forward operating post I will never know, I always found acronyms rather childish.

"Yes we have ma'am, if you save these co-ordinates I believe you'll find them useful." I reply in my cold tone. It's starting to transform from my old voice into my fighting voice, or my warrior side as Kate once mocked me in having.

"I than you very much, Seth. Is there any further information?" She asks as she places her cup of coffee down and looks straight to me.

"High numbers of mutts, cold all year around, and difficult terrain to navigate, ma'am." I add with a small nod of my head. It seems that when I switch between my two sides my mask seems to become either a burden or an asset. Surely having this personality shift shouldn't be considered normal?

"That doesn't-" She stops for a moment and her brow becomes creased. Callum shoots me a concerned look, but I'm in my cold mode at the moment, and when I look back to him my body language is calm and determined. "You need to move, now."

"Ma'am?" I ask with a slight tilt of my head.

"Peacekeepers have found your horses and are making their way through to you." She informs me, I see Callum's eyes widen, but I remain as cool as the snow beneath my feet.

"Recommended actions, ma'am?"

"Avoid them, only fight if you have to." I watch as she turns her attention towards Callum, who is having trouble composing himself. "You, keep Seth alive and out of the peacekeepers way, our outside party wants him uncompromised."

"Ma'am?" I question, but before I have chance to have my question answered she's gone. What did she mean they want me uncompromised? Why am I so important to these bastards who don't have the balls to show me their faces? I snap out of my trance and grab Callum by the forearm. "We're getting out of here, okay?"

"Okay." He replies with a shocked nod. I knew something like this would happen eventually, I just didn't think it would happen so soon.

I draw my rifle and we both slowly begin moving south, constantly keeping our ears open for any noise. That's one good thing about the peacekeepers, their body armour greatly effects their stealth capabilities. On their side though is the snow, me and Callum are going to stand out like sore thumbs in this sheet of white.

We duck into a small trench that cuts through the woods, only about waist high but the added security is something neither of us is willing to surrender. I raise my left fist to my head, Callum instantly stops. Hand signals are always helpful. Ahead of us is a peacekeeper, obviously he doesn't know what we're doing.

"Commander Thread!" The peacekeepers calls back; and there he is. Thread takes a step from behind a tree and stands next to the peacekeeper.

"What is it?" He asks in his authoritative voice. Me and Thread have never seen eye to eye, and if he ever found out that I killed his Father this manhunt would be on throughout the whole of Panem, not just the northern border.

"What do we do when we find them, sir?" He asks as he slowly looks down at his rifle then back up at Thread.

"If they don't comply, put them down." Thread replies. I feel my muscles go rigid, that bastard, willing to kill me so easy? I aim my rifle towards him in pure rage, but Callum places a hand on my shoulder and shakes his head back and forth. I could take them all, but I can't assure Callum's safety, so I slide back into the trench and carry on heading south.

It doesn't take long for us to come across a small problem, well a rather large problem actually.

"How the fuck are we getting past that?" Callum asks with wide eyes as we watch the human sized eagle rips a large moose apart with it's razor sharp black beak.

"I don't know." I reply calmly, the only thing stopping this creature seeing us is a small thick bush that separates us and the dead moose apart twenty metres away from us. Then from my right I hear the unmistakable sound of peacekeeper armour. We both freeze in place, truly trapped. I hate the feeling of being prey.

"Sir, up front." One of Thread's many peacekeepers informs him as he takes down to one knee and aims his small gun at the creature. Peacekeeper weapons only fire small rounds, designed to wound civilians not kill large birds, that pathetic excuse of a weapon is going to do fuck all to such a perfectly adapted predator.

"Keep your sights on it, bring it down if it comes after us." Thread orders as he halts the ten other peacekeepers following behind him, obviously Thread knows how dangerous these creatures can be as well.

"Yes, sir." The peacekeeper replies as he slowly moves closer to the creature. The eagle lifts it's head and turns to face him squealing at a pitch so high that it pierces my ear drums. The eagle spreads it's wings and begin making threatening displays to the peacekeeper.

To my surprise the peacekeeper stand up and begin banging his chest with his gun. I'm rather impressed by the amount of bravery this peacekeeper is showing. The eagle roars and takes a few steps forwards, so does the peacekeeper. He raises his arms above his head and shakes his gun violently. The eagle stares at him for a moment before flying away. Leaving the peacekeepers all cheering and laughing as the bane-of-bloody-big-eagles makes his way back to his comrades.

"Scared him off with my manly prowess!" The bane-of-bloody-big-eagles says with a quick flex of his muscles and a bending of one knee. I give a quick look to Callum who is also trying to hold back from laughing, strange time to find our sense of humour, wouldn't you all agree?

Me and Callum quickly cut through the trench and carry on in silence. The peacekeepers are walking along side us but neither of them know that we're here. Slowly but surely we continue, praying to a god neither of us know if he/she exists that we won't be spotted. As if our prayers have been answer a massive gust of wind comes down from the mountains carrying flakes of snow and fills the sky with fog. Me and Callum both seize out chances and jump from the trench and begin power walking, the snow is far to thick to run.

Sadly god is not on our side, the wind stops and the peacekeepers spot us. Suddenly I feel a sharp pain smash into the side of my head and Callum is standing over me with his crossbow pointed into my head.

"Freeze!" Thread shouts at the top of his voice. He withdraws his pistol and whip and points it at Callum.

"I'm not going back, this bastard killed my love!" He screams at me, but I can tell in his eyes he's lying. He's trying to save me. "I'm not going back!"

"Drop your weapon or I will fire!" Thread screams. Callum gives me a small wink, I know what he wants me to do. I slide my legs under his and trip him, rolling over the top of his chest I grab his crossbow and throw it, jumping backwards and pointing my rifle at him as he lay on the floor. Our only chance is to play this lie.

"Don't do anything stupid, Callum."

"Fuck you!" He screams back to me as he rises to his feet. I go behind him and march him over to Thread.

"What were you doing?" Thread asks as he places a pair of handcuffs over Callum's wrists. Callum shoots me a guilty look, I know this is what he wanted but I hate the feeling of having to betrayed him.

"I saw him escaping north, I chased after him and that's when he came in." I say with a small nod. Thread stares at me for a second, but finally believes my story. Together we march Callum back to the fence, where I know he'll have to suffer the pain of Commander Thread's justice.

* * *

I watch hopelessly as Callum is taken into the peacekeeper office and the door shuts behind it. The sun is slowly descending in the sky and as Thread comes to stand in front of me I can't help but feel that the sun is setting on both mine and Callum's friendship, and his freedom.

"You did good work, President Snow is impressed." Thread says to me with an impressed look. I remain silent and show not signs of pride or regret for my actions. Right now, the best for both me and Callum is to play it neutral.

"It needed to be done." I reply in my old cold tone. Thread chuckles for a moment, making me want to rip his throat out.

"I doubted you for a second." He says with that impressed look still covering his face. "I'm glad you showed me wrong."

"My pleasure, Commander." I reply with a slightly nod of the head. I spin on my heel and make my way back through the District square and to the Victor's Village.

* * *

I burst through the door and start panting heavily, slamming the door behind me with my back i slide down into a heap on the floor and try to control my breathing. Kate must be out, she would have come running if she had heard me like this.

There's a knock on the door and a sound of shouting. As i inch forward the door flies open and I feel two firm hands on my shoulders.

"Seth? Seth!" Blight screams in my face as he rips my mask off and stares firmly into my eyes. Or at least he's attempting to, my vision is darting around the room and I know that I'm not coping well at all. I hate the weakness that comes with humanity. "Seth! What happened!?"

"Callum, Callum, Callum." I repeat over and over, rocking back and forth like a weakling that I'm becoming. "Callum's been captured, they know he's involved." I feel my whole world crashing around me. Blight stares at me and I slow down, there's something he's not telling me and he knows I've worked it out.

"I know, brother." Blight replies with a sorrowful tone. I tilt my head slightly, pressing for more information. Blight sighs and averts his gaze from me, letting his hands slide off my chest as he stands and steps withdraws his holo from his pocket and holds it in front of him. I feel an eerie chill flow down my back like water over a fall. "I got word from Snow when Thread called it in."

"And?" I question in a slightly harsher tone than I meant. I stand to face Blight, my right foot forward slightly in a very aggressive stance. Blight remains silent as he stares at me, I grab my mask and glasses from the floor and quickly slide them over my face. "What Blight!?"

"The fake evidence planted has been traced back to Callum, they think he's the ring leader, but they are questioning your involvement." Blight says in a serious tone, I slide my right foot backwards and just stare at him for a moment as I cross my arms. "They want you to prove your innocence."

"How?" I ask in a low and quiet tone.

"You need to execute Callum."


	15. Conflicted

I sit at the end of the table with my head in my hands. In front of me sits my sword, resting on the table like a murderous spectre. This is my turning point; through the last year I have transformed from a sociopath into a relatively normal human, but this is it. If I walk away from this, I'm guilty, and everyone I have ever had contact with will be killed by President Snow. I would have failed my District. I would have failed Claire, Hasta, everyone.

Yet if I do this; my willpower will be broken. I would have failed myself. I would have failed Callum, and I would have failed Claire. If I bring this sword down on Callum's neck, much like I did Ludo's, I won't be recovering from this one. Callum was my anchor, and by killing him I would be cutting the first chain I had ever sent to the ocean known as my sanity.

Blight sits opposite me, neither of us willing to sit in the chair that President Snow had once sat in. I sigh again, rubbing my temples through my mask as I struggle to cope with the pressure building inside of me.

"There's no way we can win." I mutter as I slowly raise my head to face Blight. He stares at me with watery eyes, he and Callum have grown to be good friends and he too is going to suffer for this. "Do they suspect you?"

"Yes they do," Blight looks down at the small holo in his hands, "but there's a tracker in these, or at least that's what Snow told me, and I haven't contributed much so it looks like I'm innocent."

"Glad you were planning, ai?" I ask with a small hint of a smile, which is obviously hidden. Blight's lip twitches slightly, but the feeling of joy soon fades. Neither of us are able to show any of our dark humour today, there is no humour to be found in the death of a friend. Look at me, speaking of him like he's dead already, but he may as well be.

"What are you thinking?" Blight asks in his concerned tone.

"I don't know!" I snap, but not with anger but with a voice full of distress and sadness. He stands, moves over to the living room then returns with a small book. My Phoenix book. He slides it over to me me with a small pen. "What is this meant to do?"

"Calm you down." Blight replies. I tilt my head in confusion and he chuckles at my lack of comprehension. "Gets your aggression out, I carve when I'm frustrated."

"I'm a little more than frustrated, Blight." I reply with an evil chuckle afterwards as I clench my fists against the table. Everything I have worked for since the Games is starting to unravel, and I know that no matter what happens I'm not coming away from this without feeling broken either physically or mentally.

"I know, but if it helps, the crack on."

* * *

I do what he says and write for about an hour whilst he sits opposite me in a world of his own. The few times I glance up I watch him staring at the table without really absorbing any of the information his eyes are sending him. I write deeply and in great detail on everything that has happened over the past few weeks. Surely it's a bad idea to write physical evidence of all my plots against the Capitol, but I really couldn't give a shit at the moment.

When I'm finished I close the book and stare at the twisting Phoenix on the front the book. I smile at it for a moment, before sliding it back over to Blight.

"Feel better?" He asks with a small hint of a smile.

"What are we going to do Blight?" I dismiss his question. I don't feel better, I just feel determined. For a moment he remains silent, even though we are friends I still see him as my Mentor, and he still sees me as his Tribute.

"Way I look at it, we have two choices, you break him out or-"

"Or execute him." I finish his sentence for him, filling the room with an eerie silence. Blight nods slowly.

"Aye, but I don't want that." Blight says, I tilt my head in confusion again. Is Blight really thinking what I think he's thinking? God that sentence came out strangely. "We have to save him."

"Excuse me?" I ask in disbelief. honestly not sure on what the hell to reply with.

"We need to get him out of there, get him out of the District, anything!" Blight stands, forcing the chair backwards, and then proceeds to circle around the table with his hands on his head.

"I'll get hold of Mrs. Snow." I say, mainly to myself, as I withdraw the small green holo from my pocket. I place it on the table and press the buttons. Nothing. She's not answering. It's very rare this happens, but this is the exact wrong time for this to happen. "Shit."

"Looks like we're taking it on ourselves." Blight says to me with a determined stance. I go to object, we can't save him, we'll get everyone killed. Blight reads my mind and marches up to me, grabbing me by the shoulders and slamming me into the wall.

"We can't, Blight."

"What are we, Seth?" He questions me with furious eyes. "What are we, you and I, what are we?"

"Victors."

"Aye, Victors." He says with such a powerful voice that I feel my muscles tense. "And why did we win?"

"Wh-"

"We won because others lost, Seth, because twenty-three sorry fuckers lost so we could win!" He practically screams at me, is this how all Victor's feel or is it just us who feel a sense of duty towards the others who fight alongside us? "We're not making that number twenty-four."

"Not making it twenty-four." I repeat with a sense of determination rising inside of me. Blight releases my shoulders and takes a step back for a moment. "You need to see Thread."

"Make him really believe I'll kill Callum?" I say with a small grin under my mask. Blight nods along. "What happens if we can't save him?"

"If worst comes to worst," Blight makes his way to the edge of the dining area and stops for a moment, "you know what to do." And with that Blight is gone from the house, leaving me for a brief second before I grab my weapons and then follow his lead and head towards the peacekeeper office.

* * *

I walk through the doors to find Thread giving orders to two peacekeepers. They both rush away quickly and Thread turns his attention to me, a small clipboard rests in his hands as he looks up to me.

"Has our boss told you the news?" Thread asks with a small hint of a grin building on his face. I'm so glad that I'm wearing my mask right now, or he'll see how furious I'm getting.

"Yes." I reply simply and sharply. Thread takes a step backwards, he seems to have my armour with him, for some strange reason.

"You'll be wearing your armour for this, you can perform the execution however you wish." Thread looks back down to his clipboard, writes something down then looks back up to me. "Just be warned, however you execute Callum will be how you execute the rest of them."

"I'll use the sword." I reply coldly, right now I need old Seth to come back with vengeance if I want to succeed in my endeavours. "Saves ammunition."

"Good point, nice to see your helping the cause." Thread says with admiration as he slides my armour over to me. "We're just getting information from him, tomorrow afternoon we'll execute him, agreed?"

"Agreed." I reply with a small nod, moving into a changing room and sliding into my armour. It's very rare I wear this, but when I do I can't help but feel slightly more confident and powerful. I step back out and see Thread waiting for me.

"Do you want a turn?" He asks with a large grin on his face. I look down at his hands and find a dash of red liquid sprayed across his white gauntlets. The spray seems to slide all the way up his forearm, so much so that it enters the burn mark i caused a few months back. "So far we haven't got any information from him, he's a tough bastard."

"I know, are you observing?" I ask as Thread leads me to a room that splits into two. One is a window and the other is a door that lead into another room. It's all very strange.

"Of course." Thread says with a fake smile plastered onto his face. What he wants is to see how I react to Callum. I give a small nod and walk into the room.

I have to stop for a moment as I stare at the mangled body in front of me. It's still moving, and as it raises it's head from it's chest I feel a sense of guilt rip through my heart as I struggle to recognise Callum through his mangled and bloody face. Callum is tied to a chair with all the lights on in the room, making it seem rather bright.

"Come to finish the job, ai?" Callum asks with a weak laugh. He knows that it's me, so he must be playing the part. I shoot a quick glance to the mirror to my right, Thread must be watching from behind it. "Do it then, Seth, do it."

"Information." Is what I reply with, walking slowly around him with clenched fists. When I come back around to face Callum I can tell that he wants me to hit him, to torture him, all to protect the spark of a rebellion. Truly, he is a soldier at heart. "Who follow you?"

"Go fuck yourself." Callum spits back at me, but I can tell in his eyes that he doesn't mean a word of it, and as I bring my fist to contact the side of his face I hope to god that he knows I don't mean a single punch. I throw a left which sends a crack through the room, I must have broken something. He looks back to me, clicking his jaw and laughing, that sick sense of humour is showing again.

"Information." I repeat in a far more strict and threatening tone. Callum chuckles for a moment.

"How proud would Claire be of you right now, huh?" He taunts at me with tears building in his eyes, but they are of sorrow not hate. "You're a monster! You hear me? A fucking monster!"

"And glad of it." I reply as I bring my knee into contact with his face, causing the chair to fly backwards and for him to slide across the floor, still strapped to the chair. I walk over to him slowly with my back facing the mirror and my body in between Callum and Thread's view.

I'm so sorry he mouthes to me as i bring my foot down on his chest and snap one of his ribs. I take my mask off for a moment and stare at him with sorrowful eyes, neither of us want to keep this act going, but we have to.

"Look at me, and tell me who they are." I practically roar at him, but Callum holds firm. "Tell me!"

"Go fuck yourself!" Callum screams back. I place my mask back over my head and slam my foot onto his broken rib. His bloody curgling groan fills the room as I dig my heel further into the wound. I hold it there for a moment before removing my heel and walking out of the room.

Thread stands with his arms folded in front of me, a large grin spread across his face.

"To think that we suspected you." Thread says with a large smile plastered across his face. I don't react, just stand there with blood on my gauntlets staring at him. Thread extends a hand and I stare down to it for a moment, before grasping it with a firm hold. "Welcome to the peacekeepers."


	16. The Six P's

I walk through the office in my armour. My eyes dart around the room, prying for any structural weaknesses that I could use. Thread has already explained to me that Callum will be executed in front of the Justice Building at mid-day, and considering it's a Sunday everybody will bear witness to his execution, and if I don't stop this I will be executing many more people for years to come.

I take a moment to let the images of the office sink into my mind. I need to try and discover a way past the guards, then i have to hide Callum until Mrs. Snow is able to find somehow to get him out of the District and to safety. I've failed enough people over the years, Callum will be not be another added to this ever growing list.

"Something on your mind, Phoenix?" Thread ask as he walks past with a serious look on his face. Behind him peacekeeper type ferociously at their computers. As much as I despise Thread, I have to give it to him, he seems to be a damn good military leader, maybe I should kill him to save us all the hassle later on?

"Wondering how to get information out of our prisoner." I lie whilst resting my head in my left palm and tapping my foot impatiently. Thread chuckles slightly and I tilt my head, prying for what he finds so humorous.

"You would have made a damn good peacekeeper, if you hadn't been born in District 7 that is." His comment offends me, something that is quite difficult to do.

"What's wrong with District 7?" I spit back at him as I straighten in my chair. Obviously he hasn't heard of the stories of the Northern Rebels who nearly won the war for the rebellion in the Dark Days.

"No offence meant." Thread quickly adds as he gives me a quick concerned look. If I've managed to un-nerve Thread I must have made a fucking terrifying impression in the torture room. "Most of the peacekeeper come from 2, we're trained to be peacekeepers from the age of ten."

"All of you?"

"Not all of us, the ones who volunteer." Thread informs me before moving towards his desk and taking his seat. I decide to leave it at that point. I stand and take another look around the building, so far there are no weak points, and constant guards are going to make this an even bigger challenge.

I stand and make my way to where Thread watched me torture Callum from. Callum sits in the room, staring into the floor. No one has made the effort to sit him upright, and I can't be the one to do it, so I am forced to let him lay in a pool of his own blood. I cross my arms and inspect the concrete room that we both confined in. There's no chance of getting him out of this at all, not unless we cause a distraction, but that would involve putting someone else at risk. I look down at my holo, it's nearly evening and Mrs. Snow still hasn't contacted me, something must be wrong.

I move out of the peacekeeper office and into the square, I need to go home and fill Kate and Blight in on what is happening.

* * *

I step into the house, still in my armour, and make my way into the kitchen. Kate and Blight both sit at the table in silence. When Kate turns her head to face me I can see she's clearly been crying. I stand with my shoulders hung low with nothing to say, I can offer no comfort to her right now, I have a job to do.

"We're going to need a distraction." I inform Blight. Kate gives me a depressed frown, then stands and storms out of the house with a slamming of the door behind her. I give a long sigh and turn my head away from Blight. "The only way i can get Callum out is to cause a distraction."

"What do you have in mind?" Blight asks with a small frown, I know he wants me to chase after Kate, but we both have a job to do and I can't let my feelings get in the way of my friends life.

"That's up to you, just make sure it's late, okay?" I ask with a small nod. Blight gives me a nod and then I take off after Kate.

* * *

I find Kate sitting in a small clearing not too far into the woods from our house. I slowly walk to her side and collapse at her side, a small gap lies between us that she'll have to close.

"What 'appened?" Kate asks, staring ahead instead of turning to face me. I follow suit and watch as the sun begins to set over the trees. I sigh and look down at the grass, running my bloodied-gauntlet covered hand through it slowly.

"Callum got caught, they are going to execute him, they made me torture him, I'm planning an escape." I say all in a dull and monotone voice. Suddenly I feel her eyes on me and I know she wants me to look back, so I allow her that privilege. Her face is a mixture of disgust and horror. "I'm breaking him out."

"How?" She questions in a serious tone as the tears role down her cheeks.

"I don't know." I admit as i stand, averting my gaze from hers. I feel so ashamed, so powerless, I feel weak. "But I have to try." As I got to walk away I feel her hand wrap around mine. She pulls me in and wraps her arms around my chest. For a moment I'm speechless, but finally I wrap my arms back around her.

"Please, please, please be safe." She begs as the tears fall onto my armour. She looks up at me as the tears fall onto the ground in a graceful and calming decent. "I can't lose you too, we lost Claire, now we're losing Callum, I can't lose you."

"And you won't." I reply, running my hand down her cheek. She gives a small smile but when I turn away and head towards the village square we both, deep down inside of us, know that the threat of the reaper calling my name early is very, very real.

* * *

By the time I reach the square the sun has set. Blight sits outside the Justice Building and I come to sit next to him. He gives me a small smile as I turn my head to face him.

"What's happening then?" I ask in a quiet tone as a peacekeeper strolls past us and down to the office. Blight gives a small chuckle.

"William is going to start a fire, you and the peacekeepers run to contain it, and when they're distracted by the second fire we'll start, you run in and save Callum." He says with a proud smile. I can't fault him on this one, except of course for his use on that fucking monstrous nightmare known as fire.

"All planned out?" I ask in a hopeless tone.

"Aye, all six P's followed." He stops for a moment, turning his head to face me. "You know the six P's?"

"Proper planning prevents piss poor performance?" I ask with a small smile hidden under my mask. Blight laughs, nodding along as the words flow from my tongue.

"Aye, and we've planned everything well. Just remember to take charge of the peacekeepers, keep them occupied until the second fire breaks out." He instructs with a stern expression. I give a sharp nod and take my lead from Blight, I walk down to the peacekeeper office and as my hand touches the door I hear an explosion behind me. I spin for a moment with wide eyes as I watch the fire rise into the sky, what the hell did they use to cause that? I punch through the office door.

"Peacekeepers, on me, we got a fire!" I shout at the top of my voice. The peacekeepers act on instinct, all throwing down the items in their hands and charging towards me. I step back and hold the door open as tens of white armoured soldiers charge from the room and to where the fire is building. Thread is the last one, who marches through the door as he slides his helmet over his head.

"Give me a run down." Thread orders as the two of us walk towards the fire, it must be about one hundred yards away, and it looks like they've chosen to burn down the lumber warehouses, good choice.

"Explosion, I ordered the peacekeepers to contain it." I explain as we both make our way through the cramp houses and into the warehouse, where the flames have climbed onto the roof and spread like a blanket of life ending heat. The peacekeepers start swarming in, as well as vehicles pulling up outside, each of which armed with a different tool to combat the fire. I turn to Thread and shrug, I'm useless here, I can't stab the fire to death after all. "I'm useless here."

"So am I." Thread replies with a stern look on his face. Judging by how frantic the peacekeepers are, so are they. If we'd of had an outbreak of mutts we'd have been fine, but fire is an enemy that no man can fight with gun nor sword.

I scan the area, looking for anything else that could cause this inferno to erupt into an uncontrollable blaze. As much as I know we need this fire, I don't want innocents killed for the sake of one man, even if he is my friend.

Suddenly an explosion behind me. I spin on my heels and watch as the second fireball erupts into the sky. I shoot a quick glance at Thread, who watches in shock as the fire rises into the air. He points at a few peacekeepers and barks orders at them. He looks back to me with clenched fists.

"I smell foul play." He says with a furious expression. He's worked out that it's our little militia who's starting the fires, this complicates things. "I'll go organise the fight over there, you stay here and organise this rabble." He orders me as he sprints off into the distance. I smile to myself for a moment, but before I can make a break for the office a peacekeeper beckons me over. I can't ignore him and break Callum out, that will cause suspicion, so I jog over to him.

"Phoenix, we need your help can-" He gets cut off by a powerful explosion that sends me off my feet and straight into a metal pole, causing my vision to fade to black.


	17. Transformation

My eyes snap open and I awake in the peacekeeper office. The sun is nearly in the centre of the sky and I'm not sure on what happened, all I can feel is my pounding head. Thread walks over to me and extends a hand, which I accept as he pulls me to my feet.

"The fire was started on purpose, we found accelerant traces." He informs me with a frown over his face. I rub my mask, god knows what good it will do but it feels like the normal thing to do right now.

"What happened to me?" I ask weakly. Thread shakes his head slightly with a concerned look covering his face, Thread seems to actually be starting to form a bond with me.

"An explosion happened, you were knocked out." Thread informs me. "It was a mild bump, you should be able to carry out your execution in an hour."

"Shit, you sure?" I ask in an attempt to come up with an excuse not to decapitate my friend in front of the whole District.

"Presidents orders, you can go speak to the traitor if you want." Thread says as he makes his way out of the office and into the square where I will be forced to execute Callum. I sigh for a moment, feeling the tears building in my eyes and my heart tearing in two. Kate is going to lose more than just Callum at the end of this day.

* * *

I step into the torture room, Callum is still lying in a pile of his own blood. I feel a sense of guilt rise as I pull him back up so that he's sitting on his chair properly. His head drops to his chest and I wait for him to come around. Slowly, he stirs, groaning as he raises his head to face me. He smiles an almost toothless smile as flakes of dried blood fall from his mouth.

"Come to torture me some more, have you fuck face?" He asks with an evil grin plastered across his mangled face. Looking at him is like looking into a mirror showing the past. All i can see right now is me in this seventeen year old boy.

"Not this time." i admit as I kneel in front of him with my hands resting on my right knee. Callum frowns for a moment before he finally lets his defences down.

"They're going to kill me, aren't they?" He asks with a depressing tone. I sigh and let my head drop, judging by how his body has tensed he knows what's coming next. "They want you to kill me?"

"President Snow has order your execution, and I'm the executioner." I state in my old tone, when I look back up at Callum he looks horrified. What confuses me is that it wasn't his death that horrifies him, it's that I'm the one to perform it. "The whole District will have to watch."

"Well then..." Callum looks into my eyes, even though they are hidden behind the mask, a single tear flows down his cheek and drops onto the floor beneath us. "You're going to have to do it."

"I don't want to."

"You have to, I know what you were like after you killed Hasta and after Claire died, I was with you through your recovery, remember?" He questions, leaning forward in his seat. I avert my gaze, I feel too ashamed to connect my eyes to his. "I know what this is going to be like for you, but you have to do it."

"Why do you always think of me?" I snap back at him, he's too loyal for a cold-blooded killer like me. I know he would disagree, but he hasn't killed people, I have. "You're going to die."

"For me, it's all over, and who knows, there may be a place after where I can see Claire again." I look up to him and he gives me a small smile. "You're the one that has to live with it."

"Live with it..." I repeat. Those words have been said to me before, and only when they come from a friend does their meaning truly sink in and corrupt my heart.

"Say farewell to Kate and Blight for me, would ya?" He asks as I stand up and face him. I give a small nod and go to exit the room, just as I place a hand on the door I look back for a moment.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for everything." I say with a small hint of a smile under my mask. Callum smiles back to me, as if he knew I was smiling to him.

"I know," he says as he exhales afterwards, "the mask doesn't hide everything, brother."

* * *

It's half eleven, and I sit outside the shadow of the Justice Building, just waiting for the time to pass. Nothing seems the same anymore. Everywhere I look, all is see is failure. Even as the spring birds fly through the District, I fail to find any happiness in their return. Suddenly a shadow falls next to me, it's warm arms wrapping itself around my body.

"I'm so sorry, babe." Kate whispers to me in her soothing tone, trying to hide the depression in her voice.

"He told me to tell you goodbye." I say, not reacting to her attempts at comfort. Right now all I need to do is prepare myself for what is to come, and we all know what that is. She relies is this and releases me.

"I'll see you after, okay?" She asks as tears start to stream down her face. I don't reply, I merely sit and stare into the dirt, I can't think of what to say right now, and with that she disappears into the town, leaving me in my shadow.

* * *

Thread stands on the stage in front of the Justice Building, two armed peacekeepers as his side, and me and standing behind him. Most of the town has gathered to watch as Callum is dragged out from the peacekeeper office and dumped in front of Thread.

"You are charged with conspiracy against the Capitol, leaving the District, and treason, do you have any last words?" Thread asks with a small smile, or at least I'm guessing he'll be wearing that smile.

"Go fuck yourself." Callum spits back, causing the crowd to gasp. I see Callum's family in the crowd, and I can't help but look away as they stare in horror as their little boy takes his last few breaths.

"I'll take that means guilty." Thread asks in a patronising tone. The peacekeepers all laugh to themselves. Stepping out of the way and allowing me the pleasure of standing next to Thread. I take one last look at the crowd; Kate, Blight, William, Mason, and the Butcher all stand together, each with their own face of despair. "Bring out our headsman's box"

The two peacekeepers draw a black box out and place it in the centre of the stage. They the force Callum to kneel side on to me in front of the whole District. I throw my tomahawk down into the floor and slowly draw my sword, taking each step slowly and powerfully. I can see camera's are focusing on me, the whole of the Capitol must be watching me become the President's personal hit-man.

Callum's head is forced down and his neck place against the black box.

"The mask doesn't hide everything, brother." Callum repeats to me one more time as I tighten my grip on the sword in my right hand.

As the Phoenix I think this is an appropriate time, I say the words and burst into fire. The District stares with a mixture of awe and terror as this flaming figures grips his blade with two hands and brings the blade slowly behind his head.

My mind rushes for a moment, all I want now is for the world to stop. For everything to stop, so Callum doesn't have to die, so this new Seth can carry on fighting, but I have no such luck. Nothing comes to save the day, today is a victory for Snow; and as I feel my muscles tense and my arms bring the flaming sword down from the sky like the angel of death I know this is the end of two lives. I keep my eyes open as the flaming sword comes down on Callum's neck, and the fires of revolution engulf yet another victim.

**A/N: Short chapter, I know, but I didn't think that I needed to add much after the ending...**


	18. Machine

I watch from the stage as Callum's decapitated body and head are picked up by the two peacekeepers and carried away. The impact from where I had slammed my sword into his neck had left a scorch mark embedded in the stone, luckily the flames fused the wound together, stopping the flow of blood. I stand, still burning in front of the whole District, who are staring at me in horror. Right now, I am the face of fear. Mrs. Snow said to me months ago that I was the most feared man in Panem, and today I have become him.

I feel as though both the old and new Seth have been pushed aside and something new has taken their places. Where there was once the conflicting personalities arguing over who should take the field, there is now a new and far darker power coursing through my veins. I mutter the words and my fire is extinguished.

I turn to face Thread, who has already ordered the remaining peacekeepers to begin dispersing the crowd. He turns to me with an impressed expression, one that I feel I do not share.

"You did a good job." Thread states. I shrug his comment off, ripping my tomahawk from the floor and sliding it into the holster on my back. "You'll be executing who ever started that fire next."

"If I must." I reply in a far darker tone than I have ever used. I can practically feel my soul twisting inside of me as the impact of my execution plants it's root inside my mind. I step off the Justice Building and walk through the parting crowds, all of them not willing to get within metres of me. Even those who were once close to me give me a wide birth as I walk with tenses muscles through the crowds and towards the only place I really want to be right now.

I hear my name shouted behind me, and when I turn no one is willing to admit they screamed it. Instead they all stare, hundreds of eyes all focusing on the monster that stands before them, I had killed before and it hadn't truly changed me, but today I have lost all feelings of guilt and remorse.

* * *

I step into the clearing and slide my armour and weapons off, allowing them to fall onto the floor. I haven't been here in what seems like eons. My small part of the District, my river, my home. I stand in only my boxers, then dive into the water, allowing the cold to wrap itself around me like a soothing blanket. This place will never change, it's always cold, always clear, always absent of human life, and all who come here die. All except me at least. My father, Claire, and now Callum, all who have once stood by my side on the shore have fallen victim to the reaper's scythe. Hell, Claire actually died at the tip of a scythe.

I rise from the water and rest on my back facing the sky. Birds fly over my head and small fish swim beneath me. Right now, all I can feel is the peace of this one place, I could stay here forever.

Finally I decide to rise from the water, instead of leaving this place in tranquillity I take my sword and head to the large willow tree that stands tall and proud by the side of the water. I take my sword and slice into the tree, morphing it's bark into an artistic image of the phoenix. My phoenix. Underneath I cut the names of those I have lost. My mother, father, brothers, Claire, Hasta, Liz, Callum, hell I even put Marcus on the tree. This Willow tree will be my place of pilgrimage from now on, it will be my true home. The song Everdeen sang about a willow echoes through my mind, I remember all the words exactly. As I carve I softly sing:

Deep in the meadow, under the willow

A bed of grass, a soft green pillow

Lay down your head and close your sleepy eyes

And when again they open the sun will rise

Here it's safe, and here it's warm

Here the daisies guard you from all harm

Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true

Here is the place where I love you

Deep in the meadow, hidden far away

A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray

Forget your woes and let your troubles lay

And when again it's morning they'll wash away

Here it's safe, and here it's warm

Here the daisies guard you from all harm

Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true

Here is the place where I love you

I take a step back and admire my work. The tree would heal it's cuts into artistic scars, as long as the tree continues to grow then my friends will never fall from history. I then look down at my blade, it has caused so much pain, and I know that it must cause more.

I slide back into my armour, how am I going to explain everything to Kate? To Blight? To anyone? In front of the whole world I let the darkness in and brought it's power down on my closest friend.

Today is the day I had been dreading it seems, I am not one of them, and as I walk through the woods I know that I never will be one of them. I'm not one of those normal people who live in the District, I am the spawn born from the pits of tyranny, I am the fly in the soup, I am the stone in the shoe, I'm that small inkling in the back of your mind that inspires true evil, and as I break through the clearing and into the District I can feel the world around me growing darker. All eyes are on me as I continue my march home, now is the time to cause some true damage. President Snow wanted an assassin? Well he's going to get one, he's going to be on the receiving end of the most horrific and dangerous creature to ever walk on this face of this fucked up world.

* * *

I walk through the door to my house, closing it quietly behind me. As I walk into the dining area I find Blight and Kate sitting opposite each other. They both turn to face me, each staring at me with broken expressions and shining eyes. I drop my weapons to the floor and take a seat at the end of the table, the seat which hasn't been used since Snow was sat here. We all sit in silence, no one willing to make the first move at a conversation. Suddenly a low hum comes from Blight, he frowns for a moment and withdraws the holo that president Snow gave him. We both stare at it as a message appears on the screen. Blight mentally reads it and the further down the lines he gets the more horrified his face becomes.

"They know." He says to me with despair in his eyes. I turn my attention to him, and I can tell Kate is listening in too. "They found out that Mrs. Snow is the spy, she went missing a few hours ago."

"Fuck..." Kate mutters under her breath as she places her face in her hands. Yet another blow, without Mrs. Snow the only way I will be able to kill the president is to kill him during the 56th Hunger Games, but that would practically doom whatever Tribute I am mentoring.

"That's it then." Blight mutters with a hopeless ring echoing through his voice. "We lost before we had even begun."

"We knew it was a long-shot." I reply as I remove my mask/helmet and place it on the table in front of me. I take a quick glance out of the window, the sun is setting, on both the end of the day and the end of an era. We have lost, even if we were to kill President Snow there is no way we'll be able to save the Districts. "Suppose it was all for nothing."

"Not for nothing, Seth, we managed to get the co-ordinates to the third party." Blight says with his hopeless smile, I have seen that more than I would like to over the past few months. "We may be free of this one day."

"We have nothing to complain about." I sigh, looking around my luxurious house. "I did this for them."

"And no one can fault you, babe." Kate says to me with her hopeless smile. I lock my eyes with hers and smile back, even though I can feel the darkness ripping me apart, i can tell she will always be my anchor. Instinctively I extend my hand to her, and she wraps her small fingers through my gauntlet covered fingers. Right now, these two people are my family, they won't abandon me no matter how dark my soul becomes.

I with draw my small green holo from my pocket and press the button to turn it on. A green light rises from the small device, but instead of a picture of Mrs. Snow, there is only static, flickering away at me in a taunting manner. I sigh for a moment, turning to holo off one last time and sliding it into my pocket.

"What happens now?" I ask Blight with a hollow tone. I had never truly thought about what I would do after we lost, or won, in fact i assumed I would be a casualty not matter what the outcome was. Blight shrugs for a moment, we're both as lost as each other.

Suddenly there's a knock on the door. I shoot Blight a confused look, then the same to Kate, they both shrug. Who could be at the door at this time? I stand and make my way to the door slowly opening it with great care. A familiar middle-aged woman stands in front of me.

"I'm so sorry, Phoenix, but I need your help. The fight isn't over yet." I stand in pure shock, before finally snapping back to the real world and addressing the situation.

"Of course, Mrs. Snow, come in."


	19. Sanctuary

Kate hands Mrs. Snow a mug of tea and then comes to sit next to me. I stare at her with an annoyed expression sliding over my face. Mrs. Snow takes a small sip of her tea before turning her attention to me.

"Thank you, I'm in dire need of your help."

"Why should I help you?" I spit back with a tone so threatening that i can see a hint of fear embed itself in Mrs. Snow. She goes to speak, but finds no words. "You let me down, you let everyone down, Callum is dead. The one time I needed your help, the one fucking time, you didn't answer."

"I was under investigation." She replies in a sorrowful tone, at least she is able to feel the pain of her actions, unlike her husband. "My husband found out what I had done, I had to escape."

"How did you escape?" Blight asks in a soothing tone, obviously he's the better man of the two of us. Mrs. Snow takes in a long deep breath and then sighs for the same extent of time.

"Amor, he smuggled me out." She says, staring into the tea, but something isn't quite right. "He was killed when I was on my way here."

"Fuck." Is all I manage to say as I drop my hands into my palms, I'll have to make another trip to the willow tomorrow is seems. Even though I feel hollow, no sorrow fills my heart for Amor's departure from the living. He was a friend, and a good one, but I've lost so much recently that I don't feel grief anymore. "Does Snow have any idea where you are?"

"If Amor smuggled her out she must think she's here." Blight adds, shooting me a concerned look. "Which means we can't keep her here."

"Or with anyone associated with this uprising." Kate adds with a small frown. I scan my mind, wondering who's willing, and who's got the talents, to hide someone of such importance.

"Mason." I say, mainly to myself more than anything. Yes, Mason. Mason hasn't had any connection to the uprising due to little Johanna, and he could easily hide her in the log cabins, the peacekeepers never visit the lead climbers. "Mason can keep you safe."

"Would he?" Kate asks with concern slapped on her face. "I mean, it would put his family in danger."

"He's a good man, he'll help us." I reassure her as I plant a quick kiss on her lips. I haven't showed her affection in a while, and even with this twisted feeling inside me I know that I will never be able to shut Kate out of my life. I stand and motion for Mrs. Snow to stand as well. "I'll get her to Mason's."

"You sure? The peacekeepers may be looking for her." Kate adds with concern, which is rarely found in District 7 these days. I smile to her for a moment.

"It's fine, I can take her through the forest, I need to make a stop anyway." I give a small nod to Mrs. Snow, who nods back and follows me out of my house as I grab my mask and weapons and then we head into danger.

* * *

I'm glad for the route I've taken, it's through the woods and the only paths that cut through are ones that the deer are known to follow during their migration. The only problem is that this route leads through my sanctuary, and as we approach the river I can't help but feel that she's intruding.

I step up the willow, for the second time today, and carve Amor's name into the tree, humming Everdeen's song as I carve. Once I'm finished I take a step back, for all those who find this after my death, this place will seem like an ghostly shrine. Or at least something that appears in fairy tales.

"Does anyone else know about this?" Mrs. Snow asks with a guilt drenched voice. Although I hate that she didn't help, I know that it is not her fault, and as I feel the good side of me box my dark side I can't help but feel pity for her predicament.

"No, so please keep it to yourself." I reply, not wanting to turn and face her. She comes to stand next to me, both us basking in the light of the setting sun. I feel intrusive, but I must know: "Why did you really want to overthrow your husband?"

"You know that." That she replies in a monotone voice.

"Don't lie to me, you're not a freedom fighter." I spit back, from the corner of my eye I can see her do a double take, I don't think she expected me to work it out. "You used Claire to guilt trip me, why?"

"Ambition." She replies with complete honestly, causing the anger to boil inside of me. I instinctively clench my fists and grind my teeth, my friend died for this selfish bitch. "And now, because of my ambition, I will never see my daughter again."

"I'm sorry." I say softly, unclenching my fists and allowing the blood to cool down inside of me. Even if I hate this woman right now, shouting at her or hitting her is going to do nothing but make it harder for me to protect her. I then turn to face her and find a single tear is running down her cheek.

"He'll probably tell her that I'm dead." She practically whispers. I say nothing in return, Callum made a good point about death, you don't have to endure the aftermath of your failures. For Callum, he's at peace, where as the woman in front of my has to live with the pain of never seeing her daughter again. "Then I don't know what she'll do."

"She'll be fine." I try to assure her, but I truly don't know what will happen to the poor girl.

"She will be fine, my husband is in charge of her, he'd never harm our girl."

"Why marry Snow?" I ask a bit to quickly to for even my own liking. Mrs. Snow laughs to herself for a moment, before running a hand through her long silver hair.

"He asked, believe it or not I used to be one of the most beautiful women in the Capitol, and when giving the opportunity to marry a President, who would say no?" She asks with a deflated laugh at the end. I wonder how many times events like this one have repeated themselves throughout history. "He was different around me, I didn't realise how much of a monster he was till the Quarter Quell."

"What happened in the Quarter Quell?" I ask in genuine curiosity.

"The Victor found a loop hole, and he used to it win," ahhh yes, Haymitch Abernathy, "and my husband had his family killed for it."

"I'm sorry you had to live with that." My attempts at reassurance are truly pathetic, and I can never see myself being any form psychiatrist. I can see why they offered me one though.

"No, I'm sorry, my boy." She says, directing her comment straight at me. I instinctively take a step backwards, I don't think anyone has ever truly apologised to me like this and I don't know how to react. "I got you into this, and I can't get you out."

"I signed up." I admit with a twang of guilt in my voice. "I could have said no, but I was so keen on revenge."

"We can still get it." Mrs. Snow replies with a stern expression. "As I said, the fight isn't over, I'll get hold of District 13 and-"

"District 13?" I questions. Mrs. Snow stops in her tracks, mentally attacking herself for her slip up. District 13 is involved in this? District 13 was destroyed.

"They aren't gone, Seth. District 13 survived the war, and now their building an army." She takes in a deep breath as she turns her whole body to face me. "You're reconnaissance was to stage an invasion on District 7, we wanted you to be our symbol, our leader, you were to be our martyr, but Snow has made you seem like one of them."

"I am not one of them."

"You executed your friend in the name of the Capitol, to Panem, you are my husband's most deadly weapon." She counters my argument. I go silent for a moment. She's right, today I killed my best friend for the Capitol, I had to make everyone believe I killed Callum because I believed in the Capitol. "The world sees you as an Assassin, but we wanted you to be our Phoenix."

"Have you tried anyone else?" I ask, it's truly a weak argument.

"No, you are in the rare situation where we have a public figure who can rally the Districts, and I doubt there will be someone else like you for a long time to come." She says with a small hint of a smile. Am I really that important? I'm just a broken boy from the slums of a dying District. "That's why we needed you."

"And you still think I can be this man?"

"Yes, I do, but we need you. I want you to come to District 13 with me."

"What?" i ask in complete surprise. She's asking me to leave my home? To leave everyone I have ever loved (which there aren't that many I'll admit) behind and become some warlord! "I can't abandon District 7."

"You'd come back eventually, Seth." She is nearly pleading with me at the moment. "And when you do come back, it will be with an army at your back."

"I'll have to think about it, now let's get you to Mason's."

* * *

I knock Mason's door, the sun has set now and I can't help but feel quite nervous about anyone spotting me and a suspicious woman sneaking around the District. The door swings open and I find Mason facing me with a small, tired smile.

"Seth?" He questions, rubbing his redding eyes as he takes a small step back. "What are you doing here?"

"I need your help."

"Come in then." He replies, shepherding me and Mrs. Snow into his small hut. I give his wife a small nod, who is holding a sleeping baby Johanna in her arms. "Who's this."

"President Snow's wife." I reply. Mason's face drops for a moment as he pieces the parts of the puzzle together.

"I thought you had lost this stupid rebellion?" Mason asks with a small hint of disgust. Obviously he's not too impressed of my execution of Callum either, and who can blame him?

"Not yet." Mrs. Snow replies with a small smile. Baby Johanna begins to stir in her mother's arms and as such I lower my voice.

"You won't need to harbour her for long, I'll take her off your hands in a few days." I promise, even though I have no idea when the cavalry from District 13 will arrive. Mason thinks to himself for a moment. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't need you."

"Okay." He finally agrees with a small smile. I knew I could rely on Mason of all people. "Now get back home, I'll make sure my guest is comfortable."

"Thank you." Mrs. Snow says with a large smile to mason as he points her to a small wooden chair in the corner of the room. "Come find me tomorrow, Seth, and I need an answer."

"Give me some time." I shoot back, making me way out of the Mason household and into the night.


	20. Choices

_Ludo brings his sword down from over my head as I side step to the right. His sword impacts the floor and as I bring my knee into contact with his face. Ludo snaps back upright, blood pouring from his nose. I take a step back, and ready both of my weapons. Ludo straightens himself and smiles for a moment before extending his hand in front of him. I weapons burst into flame, not the flame I can control, one that burns through my hands and forces me to throw them to the floor. Ludo places his helmet onto his head with his free hand and tenses his armoured fingers. i rise from the floor, grasping for breath as the floor gives way beneath me and the Cornucopia forms from the fog behind him. I wrap both my hands around my throat, kicking wildly as I struggle to stay alive. Ludo laughs to himself for a moment, before he releases me and I tumble into the fires below me_.

* * *

I wake my a sharp gasp and a following of heavy breathing. Judging by the sun it must be seven o'clock in the morning, and Kate is still lying in bed, curled up in the corner like she does when the house gets too warm. I slowly slide out of our bed, walk over to the counter and slide my mask over my head and right hands side of my torso. Place on the glasses and take a deep breath in. Normally when I relive my battles with Ludo they all end with him executing me, never has had made me fall in such a way.

I look up at Ludo's helmet, a sense of hate pangs through my heart, I let my head drop and let out another long drawn sigh. I then open the counter that I am resting on, Kate's necklace sits happily in the counter. It seems that everyone she has gifted this small item to is too afraid to wear it in case they break it. Kate knows I don't wear it, not because I don't care but because I care too much.

I take a step back and slide into my arena trousers, socks ,and my boots. With the spring air feeling warm I don't think I'll be needing my top, You'll find that most the blokes in District 7 don't wear tops from the seasons of spring to summer. I take a short walk down my stairs and find Blight sitting at the table, he thought it would be a good idea if he stayed for the time being in case I flipped out and Kate couldn't stop me.

"Good morning, Mummy." He calls to me with a small smile. I give a respectable nod and make my way straight to the kettle, I really need a cup of tea. "Sleep well?"

"I had a nightmare." Is all I reply with as I mentally relive the dream of Ludo holding me above a carpet of fire. I hear Blight sigh from behind me, then I hear the familiar sound of him peeling those fucking oranges!

"Going to tell me what it was about?" He asks in a very relaxed voice. I think about his request, making my tea in silence as I wonder whether I should tell him. Normally I keep my dreams between me, Kate, and Callum, and telling Blight about every dream I have will seem like I've replaced Callum. I walk over to the table, and sit with a long sigh as I raise my mask over my nose and tip a sip of the hot liquid.

"Just Ludo." Is the two word answer I give him. Blight nods in acknowledgement. "Do you still have nightmares?"

"Every night." He replies as he seems to lose focus and enter a world locked inside his own mind. "Every night I see that beast chasing me across the fields of mud and barbed wire."

"I didn't watch your Games that much, what exactly happened?" I ask in my softest tone. He looks up to me with an expression that has a mixture of guilt and sadness. "I'm sorry if it's-"

"It's fine, Mummy." He interrupts me as he takes another small bite of his orange. "In the end, it just turned into a mad dash away from a monstrous reptile, a bit like the one in your Games, only reason I won was because I was the fastest Tribute."

"I'm sorry to hear that." I mutter as I look back down at my tea. He raises his hand to blow off the comment but as I accidentally let out a long drawn sigh I can see from the corner of my eyes his expression change vastly.

"What aren't you telling me?" He asks in a serious tone, Blight always had a nack for being able to read me like one of my little books. I take in a long drawn breath and sigh and again.

"Mrs. Snow wants me to go with her, to District 13."

"What?" He nearly shouts at me. "What are you on about? District 13? You leaving the District?"

I take the time to fill him in on all the information that Mrs. Snow gave me yesterday, he listens carefully as the words that roll of my tongue with ease. It's hard to believe that less than a year ago I was nearly silent. After I'm finished explaining, Blight shoots me a sad look.

"What are you thinking of doing?" He asks with a hint a of a tremor in his voice. I take a small sip of my tea and place it gently on the table, I need to be honest with him here.

"Honestly, I don't know."

"You can't be serious. You can't just pick up and fuck off from District 7!" He growls in a very irritated voice. I let his comment slide and take another sip of my tea, electing to keep my cool and calm demeanour.

"If we want to be free, I can't stay in District 7." i say calmly as I turn my body to face him and grasp my hands together, leaning my elbows on the table. "They need me."

"To do what? Be some kind of symbol? Is that it? They want you to be nothing more than a poster boy?"

"Only way we're going to get all the Districts to unite is if they have something, someone, to fight for." I retort with a slight hint of aggression in my voice.

"Aye, it's normally some fancy, uptight, arse-hole of a politician! Not some poor, neglected, orphaned kid from one the poorer Districts of fucking Panem!" He practically screams at me, raising from his seat and clenching his fists. He takes in a deep breath and exhales, in an attempt to calm himself. "They don't give a shit about you, Seth, even if you didn't do it they would find a replacement."

"How do you know? When have you ever had the chance to talk to a member of District 13?"

"Look at it honestly, Seth." He stares me straight through my glasses and into my deep emerald eyes. "When has anyone, and I mean anyone, in a position of power even done something selfless?"

"I don't know." I reply honestly after I too let out a sigh. Blight is correct, should I leave the District the only way I'm coming home is in the flames of war, and there's no guarantee that Kate and Blight will survive it. "But we can't do nothing."

"I'm afraid it's all we can do." Blight replies with a hopeless smile, but I'm still not convince, I can free the Districts from the Capitol. I just have to have the balls to get up and fight. "I know you want to, but don't go, Seth. There's no place for you outside of these walls."

"I know, I know." I reply as I take a huge gulp of my tea. The District 7 when of drinking our depression away is through the use of tea and following it up with a hand-full of finely made sarcastic comments. "But if I don't do this, I'll hate myself forever."

"And if you go, and lose everything, you'll hate yourself even more." He replies with a stern expression. We both fall silent as a pair of light feet descend down the staircase. I turn to see Kate staring at me with shining eyes.

"When was you going to tell me?" She asks with a shaking voice, making her way to sit next to me.

"Today, I just needed time to prepare." I reply honestly. I had a serious dilemma trying to find the words to tell Kate why I must go to District 13. When I take a moment to scan my own thoughts, I know I've made my mind up, I want to go, but I know what I'll be sacrificing to bring freedom to the Districts. "I'm sorry you had to find out like this."

"It's fine, babe." She replies, in a strangely understanding way. As far as I can tell, when it comes to these things Kate has never been understanding. "I heard it all, I know what you're thinking."

"He's thinking foolishly." Blight adds under his breath, Kate shoots him an angry look and he falls silent. Even Victor's are frightened of her, I am in a relationship with the most frightening woman in all of Panem.

"He may be a fool, but he's my fool."

* * *

I knock on the wooden door of Mason's small shack. He opens with a large smile spread across his face, and baby Johanna in his arms.

"She's just inside." He says to me as he bounces Johanna in his arms. Johanna makes an odd cooing sound and extends her arms towards me. I tilt my head questioningly towards Mason, he gives me a small nod and hands me the small giggling child.

We walk into Mason's house, baby Johanna giggling as she pulls the fabric on my mask. I chuckle to along as the three of us enter the main room of the house. Mrs. Snow stands in front of me with a small smile.

"Good morning, my Phoenix, how are you?" She asks as I gently bounce baby Johanna in my arms.

"Fine, thank you, ma'am." I reply, waiting for her to ask me that dreaded question that plagues me mind like a nightmare from the Games.

"Have you decided yet?" She asks with a hopeful smile and a small twinkle in her eyes. I know she wants my answer soon, but it may be some time before I am able to give it to her fully.

"Not yet, ma'am." I admit quietly, turning my attention towards Johanna, who is happily blowing little bubbles towards me with crossed eyes. I smile to myself as I watch her innocently enjoying herself. How long before this poor girl is forced to work for a living? How long before she too must stand and wait to be reaped?

"Please do hurry, I hate to cause these lovely people more danger." Bollocks, you just want to get your arse out of trouble before the tin-men come and take you away. "Speaking of which, I need you to distract Commander Thread."

"Why?" I spit back at her, catching her off guard as she instinctively takes a step back from me. After all, I am the most feared man in all of Panem. Snow may have political power, but I am nothing more than a silhouette of hate and murder.

"I need you to find out just how much information they have on me, and then bring it back to me." She finally manages to inform me after recomposing herself.

"Why? They know who you are anyway?" Mason adds, Mrs. Snow shoots him a glare and he quickly scutters behind me, making strange noises to Johanna who laughs hysterically in my arms.

"Because, Mr. Mason, I don't want them gathering any information on my other informants."

"Other informants?" I question with a tilted head as I slowly slide baby Johanna from my arms and into her Father's. Mrs. Snow laughs to herself for a second. She's do best to remember that I've lost two friends through her secrets.

"Of course! You are just a symbol, Phoenix, the real work is done by my spies in the Capitol and in the Districts." I feel my body tense as her words sink in.

"Is that it?" I reply in spite. "Is that all I am? An expendable symbol? How easily could you replace me?"

"Not easily," she admits honestly, "we have a rare situation with you, but I'm sure there could be another to take your place should you say no."

I sigh, turning and making my way out of the shack and towards my target. I'll get her the information, but only to further the cause and not her selfish desires.

I walk slowly through the winding paths of the Districts, her words sinking in and their real meaning lies behind them. All those words last night, all just to convince me that I am far more special than I really am. I am nothing, all I am is one that they will one day replace.


	21. Traitor

I step into the peacekeeper office with a heavy heart. Tens of white figures dart back and forth and furiously type away at their computers. There, walking towards me, is a happy Commander Thread.

"Have you heard the news?" Thread asks with a stern expression. I shake my head back and forth as he guides me towards his private office. It's a small room, a single desk and computer, with his weapons in a small cupboard to the side. He leans against the table and motions for me to shut the door behind him. "Mrs. Snow turned out to be against us."

"Seriously?" I ask in a pretend state of shock, which seems to have worked. Thread nods slowly as he folds his arms.

"Yeah, she made a break for it, turns out that your District's escort was in on it too." He examines me for my reaction but I decide to show no obvious signs of depression upon Amor's death. I just wish I had chance to say goodbye to him. "You didn't even flinch."

"He was a traitor." I reply coldly in an attempt to make myself seem heartless.

"Good, you understand how a peacekeeper works now." He replies, as strange as it seems, by him training me to be a peacekeeper he's made me an even more formidable enemy than if he hadn't; oh how I love this game I play.

"I'd get it eventually."

"Of course you would. I needed to see you anyway, there's an execution scheduled for this afternoon, you'll need your armour." He instructs with a firm point of his hand. I quickly glance down at his forearm, still burnt from our first meeting, it seems he'll wear that as a badge of honour. "And your sword, of course."

"Of course, I'll go get them now." I reply with a small bow as I turn on my heels and make my way back into the District, this execution may prove useful for me if I can use it against the peacekeepers.

* * *

I slowly open the door to my house and allow the warm spring air to flow softly into it's interior. I take a few steps into the house, it's silent, Kate must have gone off exploring again. I chuckle slightly to myself and find my armour stored away in my house. I honestly can't remember how it got there, but for some reason I left it next to the fridge. I slide into it and then collect my sword, tomahawk, and my rifle.

I then take a moment to admire my home, the dark shades of green and deep shining brown that dart through the house always gave me a sense of security. I then follow this with a quick stroll through the winding corridors, admiring my home. Yet, even after everything that has happen, I still have that small pit in my heart that calls me a thief. This house, this title, this life shouldn't be mine. It always should have been Claire's. She would have made a fine symbol. She was brave, she was strong, and she actually cared.

I sigh as a silent tear rolls down my cheek, again I march towards the death of another, how long will it be before I march to my own death I wonder?

I take a step out of my house and softly shut the door behind me. Then walk into down towards the gate, and towards my next execution.

* * *

I step into the peacekeeper office and into the "torture room" as it has been named. I slide behind the window and stand cross-armed, inspecting the man in front of me, beaten and broken. Of course he doesn't know that his executioner is behind the glass, examining him like a trophy to be collected.

"Assaulted a peacekeeper." Thread speaks from my side. I do not react to his entrance, instead I merely carry on inspecting the man in front of me.

"Why?"

"An incident with food." Thread replies in his merciless voice. I feel a shot of guilt slice through my heart as the realisation of who I'm executing sinks into my mind. I'm not executing rebels, I'm executing the desperate. "He then attacked a peacekeeper."

"Then he deserves my sword." I lie in an extremely harsh tone. So harsh in fact that even Thread has to take a second glance at me. I am I truly becoming the monster that I'm acting? The past few weeks have been so confusing for me that I really don't know who I am anymore.

"You really are a peacekeeper." He replies proudly, and then makes his way back into the building. It's almost twelve, which means it's nearly time for this poor sods execution. I take a deep breath in, exhale slowly to compose myself, and then proceed to make my way out of the torture room and into the peacekeeper office.

* * *

The square is packed, turns out this poor bastard is quite popular amongst the members of the District. I stand with Thread in front of me. He reads out the lists of this man's crimes, and how he has disgraced the Capitol and all of the Districts in his actions.

"So I, Commander Thread, on behalf of President Snow and the Capitol, sentence you to execution." Finally reads, closing the small holo in his hand and taking a step so that I am standing before him, like some prize dog about to be set on an unsuspecting prey.

I take my place next the small black box, my headsman's block, and wait for the man to fall to his knees. He turns his head to the gathered crowd, of which are either crying or glaring at me with evil eyes. I can't help but feel a sense of hate build as my muscles tense and i raise my arm over the back of my head. The man turns his head to face me, his light brown eyes becoming increasingly black as his pupils expand in fear. I grasp the sword from my back and slowly draw the sword, listening as the metal slides out of the sheath that rests on my back, sliding past my rifle and my tomahawk.

"You'll make it quick, won't you, Phoenix?" The man asks me in a defeated tone. I decide not to answer him, and instead draw my blade quick and sharply spinning it in my hand as I bring it down to my side with expert precision. "For what it's worth, thank you."

As the tears roll down his cheeks I slowly raise my sword above my head, images of Callum and Ludo flash in front of me as the blade reaches over my head and runs alongside my spine. Time slows as I bring the sword down with such power that it cuts through the man's neck like butter and impacts the floor so hard that I am forced to move my entire body with the sword to stop me from breaking my wrists.

The man's head rolls to the side of me, a trail of sanguine blood drooling from it as it loses momentum. I take a moment to let out a short sigh, and then rise back vertical, standing defiantly in front of the whole District, who have all fallen into a deadly silence. Each person has a different expression, but all convey the same emotion, fear.

I hear something from behind me, a familiar voice mixed with that small hint of static. All the peacekeepers in the District, each with their riot shields and clubs seems to stand more upright in unison, all shooting each other concerning looks.

I then look into the crowd. Standing amongst the shell shocked people, in her hidden coat, stands Mrs. Snow with Kate at her side. She mouthes something to me, it takes a moment for the shapes her lips are forming to sink in. They know.

Suddenly it all makes sense and I feel my body tense. I hear the sound of leather scraping on metal and act on instinct, I draw my tomahawk and fall to my knees, spinning on my heels as I turn the full one-hundred and eighty degrees to face a furious Commander Thread, who has swung his whip horizontally at me. I dive backwards, off the Justice Building and into the crowd of screaming people, who all disperse in different directions. I take a quick glance and spot Mrs. Snow and Kate slip into the peacekeeper office, I need to give them time to get that information.

"You traitorous bastard!" Thread screams as twelve peacekeepers begin to form surrounding circle, each staying over thirty yards away from me, they also fear me. "I thought you were something else! We all did, you monster! And now I found out it was all you!"

"Everything," I reply as I lower my weapons to my side and straighten my shoulders, this is what I was born to do, "including the attack on the Capitol."

"Wait..." It takes Thread a moment to realise what I'm saying, for now he knows, and I know he's worked it out when his entire body becomes rigid and his face grows red. "You killed him!?"

"And I did it slowly." I spit back at him with an evil laugh. Thread mutters something to the peacekeepers and makes his way towards me, a man throws him a riot shield as he squares off a few yards in front of me.

"You're mine you son a bitch!" He spits at me as he clenches his teeth. Making his way forward, he brings his whip behind him and with a crack brings it back towards me. I dive beneath it as the feeling that I have been absent from for so long fills my body, not since Ludo did I really have this impulse driving me, I want to see blood.


	22. Back in the Games

The whip wraps around my sword as I bury my axe into Thread's riot shield. The surrounding peacekeepers have followed their Commanders order and have all stopped to allow him the satisfaction of, excuse the expression, whipping my arse into shape.

"Everything! Every fucking thing was you!" Thread spits venomously at me, rage circling his eyes like a viper waiting to strike. This is where I let loose the dark side of me, that side so horrible that I even I can't stand it.

"First it was the peacekeepers." I say with a small chuckle as the two of us struggle to escape each others grasp. "Then it was your father."

"Stop!" Thread screams in mindless fury as he begins to try and swing me like a rag-doll.

"Then it was the espionage, oh what fun I had playing you all like pianos, completely helpless to my charms." I reply with a small, sweet nod of my head. Finally we both break free of our entangled dance and both both stumble a few steps backwards, struggling to maintain our balance.

"Shame you've lost." Thread replies with a sharp tongue. Of course he is right, from the Capitol's point of view we've lost everything. I reply with a loud tut and shake my head back and forth, trying to act as though I know far more than I actually do.

"You know nothing, none of you do!" I shout as I slowly spin, pointing my blade towards all of them. In a perfect world I would draw my rifle and shoot them all, but I need to give Kate and Mrs. Snow time to wipe the archives clean. "You are all stuck in the dark!"

"We know everything, Seth! We know everything!" Thread shouts back, as he cracks his whip against the armour on my chest. Even though the armour takes the blow, the force on the whip still manages to knock the wind out of me as I grunt and struggle to keep my balance. "And when we find evidence, we can put Blight and Kate away for good as well."

"Good luck with that, makes things easier for me." I reply with a dark chuckle, even though I'm mainly laughing at the fact that he's just admitted to having no information on Blight and Kate. "So how did you find out it was me?"

"We've been getting a signal from-"

"From my holo, of course." I finish as I mentally slap myself. I should have known that this bastard thing could be used against me.

"I thought you, of all people, would have seen that coming."

"I fucking should I have." I spit back, even though my anger is mainly aimed at myself more than Thread. After all, I do respect a fellow hunter's intuition, and he's been unknowingly hunting me since day one. "But now you've found me, and we finish this like men."

"Oh I promise you this, our feud will end with one of our heads on a spike." Thread snaps back at me with a crack of his whip against the floor. The two of us begin circling, a motion most predators use as they try and find the best ground to fight on. Behind Thread I spot Mrs. Snow and Kate run out of the peacekeeper office, and a small funnel of smoke following behind them. Thank god, they've done it.

Now I need to distract them even further while the fire catches. I lower my weapons down slightly, giving Thread an open shot at my chest. In the blink of an eye he cracks his whip towards me. I don't react fast enough, and instead the whip smashes into my armour and forces me to stumble backwards. In all honesty, the whip isn't going to do much damage, but the chances are he just wants to wear me down so my execution would be public.

Suddenly another crack and more air leaves my lungs as I stumble backwards, breathing in deeply. Finally I lift my sword up and the whip wraps around the blade, I gasp as quickly as possible, trying to fill my lungs full of oxygen as I spin around and slide my axe towards him with expert precision.

Thread lifts his shield to block the incoming attack, breaking his whip free and smashing me in the face with the riot shield. I use this moment to stab through the riot shield and rip it from his grasp, throwing it to the floor. Thread gives me his distinct glare and I laugh it off.

"Laugh it up, I'm going to part your head from your shoulders."

"Oh, of course you are, just like Daddy did." I taunt in a very arrogant tone. Normally I wouldn't behave like this. Arrogance is a hunters biggest enemy, but right now I can use it to my advantage.

"You're a fucking cu-"

"Ah! No naughty words now, didn't Mammy teach you not to swear?" I ask with a small shrug. Thread screams at me as he cracks his whip forward at lightning speed, but this time I'm ready for him. I step to the side and lunge forward, ramming my knee into his stomach so he is forced to curl over. I then follow with a quick uppercut as I spin Thread around and place him into a headlock, holding my sword against his neck.

"If any of you know what's fucking good for you, and Commander Thread, you'll all rally in front of the Justice Building you'll be picking up the pieces of your Commander." I threaten in the most menacing tone that has ever parted from my lips. The peacekeepers all shoot each other concerned look, then reluctantly make their way to the Justice Building. My sword hand itches as I rest the blade gently against Thread's neck, but now isn't the time. With a quick boot and supreme dexterity, I kick Thread to the floor and holster my weapons, spinning on my heels and sprinting away into the woods.

* * *

I jog at a steady pace with my rifle cocked and ready in my hands. I don't want to get ambushed by a peacekeeper patrol, I may be dangerous but I am just one man. I keep up the pace as I slide through the trees, my mind is darting with the consequences of all my actions, and I know what I must do. I spin on my heels, pick up the pace and begin running in the direction of a very dear friend of mine.

* * *

I slowly open the door to my house, it seems Kate and Mrs. Snow were here already, most of the essentials we would need are gone, and also Kate's violin. She loved that small instrument more than I ever thought she would. I slide my hand under the golden necklace around my neck, I need to find her.

Yet my mind tugs me another way, to my two small books in the corner of the room. I pick them both up and rest them gently in my open palms, admiring the flaming birds that glow upon the cover on each. My mind turns to Amor, killed by President Snow protecting Mrs. Snow, he died a hero, not all of us can be so lucky.

I take one last look at my house, sigh deeply and painfully, then make my way across the street.

I walk into Blight's house with my shoulders hanging low and my heart hanging even lower.

"Blight?" I call through his house, but no reply follows, he is also gone. I slowly step into his house, examining it as I walk. I can't help but smile as I descend into the basement, where me and Blight used to spar. We pretty much stopped after the Victory Tour, neither of having the stomach to play war when there's a real one going on outside of our door.

I walk slowly through the cellar and find the blue axe cover I used to place over my tomahawk so I didn't kill him when I whacked him over the head. I chuckle slightly at the memories and slide the two books into the cover, hoping that he'll find them. Judging by Blight's house, he isn't fleeing the District, I doubt President Snow is going to kill him, in fact I can imagine something far worse for my poor friend.

I walk back up stairs and find something I never thought I would in Blight's house, a camera. I pick it up, pressing the buttons, waiting for something to happen with the strange piece of technology. Suddenly it flashes and I know I've most likely taken a photo. Then I spot a small button on the side with a red R on the side. What can it mean? Then it hits me, it means record.

I move into the living room, sitting down with the coffee table in front of me I position the camera so my whole body would be in the frame. With a heavy heart I press the button and begin speaking. When I'm finished I walk back into the basement, hide the camera behind the blue cover, say my final farewells to my second home and head back into the District.

* * *

I suppose I will never see Blight again, or at least not until I return to liberate the District. As I slip into the forest my mind starts to fill with ideas of where I can find Kate and Mrs. Snow. A safe best would most likely be Mason's, yet another friend I am putting in danger. Luckily Mason doesn't live too far away, and if I move at high speed I should be able to get to Mason's within half an hour.

For the rest of the jog my mind is running rampant, and as I knock on the door to Mason's house I can't help but feel a sense of dread. Now I have to explain to Kate about how I'm going to leave her in a District not her own, because I need to return to 7 to free my people.

The door opened slowly, as Mason poked his head around the wooden door wearing a worried expression. He quickly rushed me into the house, slamming the door behind him and hastily locking it. I gave a quick thankful nod to him as I made my way into the main part of the house.

"Oh! Thank god you're okay!" Kate gasped as she ran over and wrapped her arms around me. I stumble for a second, before finally wrapping my arms around her. Mrs. Snow stands behind her, arms crossed staring at the floor.

"Ma'am, what's the plan?" I ask as I break away from Kate and stand like a pillar in front of Mrs. Snow. To our right, Baby Johanna coos gently, extending her arms to me and closing her hands and reopening them rapidly. I small slightly as I bend down and pick her up, resting her gently on my hip as I bounce her against my armour.

"Right now, we have to get north, District 13 will airlift us back from there." She tells me without making eye contact. I sigh as I turn my attention to the giggling baby in my arms poking at my visor with a happy smile.

"Any idea when they'll arrive?" Kate asks, wrapping her hand around my waist and under Johanna. I quickly glance to Kate, who gives me a hopeless smile, then I look up and into the mirror. Me, standing with a child in my arms and my love at my side, for the first time in a long time I feel content. I had never thought about having kids, but maybe, when this is all over, I would like to give life and not take it.

"Tomorrow at one o'clock, or at least that's what they've sent me." She explains, pulling the holo from her pocket and holding it in front of her at arms length. Baby Johanna turns her attention towards the holo, staring at it with wide eyes and awe. "Think we can get there?"

"Easy, we just have to move quick, ma'am." I reply, placing Baby Johanna on the floor. She looks up at me for a moment and I look down to her. The two of us stare for a moment, her eyes longing for me to pick her up again. I tut as I roll my head, bend down and place her back on my hip. She giggles loudly, looks like I have a soft spot.

"I'll leave this to your leadership, Phoenix, when do we leave?" She asks with a small smile. I lightly rest my forehead on Baby Johanna's as I turn to face her Father. I then lay her gently at his feet and extend my hand to Mason, a single tear slides down his strong face as he grasps my forearm.

"I'll come back, brother." I say with a small nod. At the end of the day, me and Mason hunted together and tried to bring down the Capitol together, he will always be a brother of mine.

"Until that day, Phoenix." He replies with a hopeless smile. I release his arm and motions for Kate and Mrs. Snow to follow behind me, we have a long way to go to get the the pick-up point.


	23. Escape the District

"Blight will be fine, we destroyed all evidence of his involvement, and everyone elses." Mrs. Snow informs me as we walk through the winding paths of the forest. I decided to lead them away from the main roads through the Districts, peacekeepers know those routes very well. I sigh in relief, at least Blight will be safe when I leave the District.

"Good, they need the protection." I reply as I quickly glance down at the rifle resting in my hands. I don't want to get caught off guard after all. I quickly glance back to Kate, who's walking in step behind me. She brushes the hair behind her hair and gives me a small smile. i smile back under my armour, taking in the fact that she's got the violin case over her back.

We'd been walking for about an hour before I raise my hand to call the other to a stop. I motion down with my hand and we all lay on the ground, we've reached one of the several small settlements, and it's been occupied by peacekeepers. I crawl slowly forward, breathing in slowly as I rest the rifle in my arms. My finger slides around the pistol-grip and my finger lightly teases the trigger, itching to lower the peacekeepers numbers. I feel that mental switch click inside me and before I know it bullets are flying through the air.

There were six peacekeepers. Now, in the course of two seconds, there are three. I had fired with such speed that they had died before they even knew I had begun the conflict. The other peacekeepers turn to my position, I fire the round into the chests of two leaving one lone peacekeeper standing. He throws his rifle to the ground, falls to his knees and places his hands behind his head. He looks to me through his visor, fear filled with his eyes through the scope.

I disturb even myself as I let loose a low chuckle as I pull the trigger, allowing the round to break through his visor and out the back of his helmet.

I roll onto my back and hoist myself up. Kate and Mrs. Snow stare at me with wide eyes, and Kate looks on the verge of tears.

"They know what they signed up for." I reply coldly, making a quick turn and walking slowly through the settlement as the blood soaks into the floor. Luckily the workers were away, which, means they didn't have to witness my slaughtering of these bastards.

"Seth." I hear from behind me as I step over a peacekeeper's body and continue to walk further down the road. "Seth, just stop!"

"We can continue down the path we should-"

"Seth!" Kate screams at me, spinning me around and grabbing me by the shoulders. Her eyes scan over my mask fanatically, searching for any sign of empathy. "Seth, just... Just stop a second, okay?"

"Kate I-"

"No, Seth, you've been acting like this for months, just stop for a moment and look at yourself." She commands, letting her hands drop to her sides as she takes an aggressive stance. "Please, please just feel something!"

"I do feel." I reply in my old monotone voice, which really didn't help my case when you think about it.

"No, Seth, no you don't! you just executed that man and you chuckled! You hear me? You fucking chuckled, Seth!"

"Now isn't the time." Mrs. Snow cuts in.

"No, now is exactly the time." She snaps back.

"No, it isn't." Mrs. Snow bites back with a screech. Kate blinks a few times, is it really so surprising that the wife of President Snow is as short-tempered as she is frightening? "Look, Kate, I've seen the file the Capitol have on Seth."

"And?"

"And he's a suffer of P.T.S.D, just not a very common form of it." She tries to explain, extending her arms in front of her as she speaks. Kate frowns for a moment, shooting strange looks back between me and Mrs. Snow. "He's not fully stable."

"What do you mean fully stable?"

"I am stable." I argue.

"No you're not, Seth." Kate adds. For fucks sake, now she's taking Mrs. Snow's side?

"You remember when you had a mental test after the Games, Seth? All Victors have one." I remember it greatly, I spent most of my day in the Justice Building while some man in a long brown coat asked me lots of questions and showed me tonnes of strange black paintings. "Well yours shows you have P.T.S.D, mild sociopathic tendencies, and a bit more, I understand you don't know what most of these words mean but it means that we need to get you some help."

"Why tell me now?" I counter in an angry tone. "Why not tell me when we can actually do something about it?"

"Well I think it was slightly important after you just laughed at some poor kids execution!"

"I bet he laughed at Callum's." I snap back as an awkward blanket of silence wraps itself around us all. We all know it's true, I wasn't accepted by the peacekeepers until after I had executed my oldest friend."

"Seth, just please try to show some mercy, would you?" Kate asks, no, pleads with me as she wraps her hands around mine. The cold metal of my gauntlets must reflect my soul quite well. "We can get you sorted in District 13, just please don't make it worse, babe."

"I'll try." I sigh and turn away. Mild sociopath? P.T.S.D? The only one of those I know is the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and that was because me and Blight had it. Besides, what does she means I don't have a normal case of it? All of this is too confusing right now, I need to focus on the task at hand, I need to get out of the District and up north.

* * *

We walk through the winding forest for hours, before finally I find a clearing as the moonlights up the sky. I sigh contently and motion for us to stop. The night will be cold, but at least we'll sleep peacefully this far into the woods. Mrs. Snow finds the largest tree and slides down it slowly, her mind entering a series of vivid dreams as she slowly falls.

I go to take watch, but Kate stops me, shaking her head slowly back and forth.

"Have a rest, babe, you need it." She says with a small smile. I don't object, instead I head over to the same tree as Mrs. Snow and slowly slide down the trunk, allowing my mind to capture my consciousness.

* * *

_I walk slowly through the woods, a thick layer of snow lays on the ground which crunches under my boots as I wander. In front of me grows a small tree, with branches extending from it in such a way that I can't help but feel as if they are motioned for me._

_"Is it so bad?" A unique voice asks from behind me. I feel my blood turn cold as I slowly spin to see him standing there. His armour shining and his swords draped over his back. His helmet is rested under his arm on his hip and the face stares at me with that arrogant smile he wore so well._

_"Is what so bad, Ludo?" I ask with a small cock of my head. Ludo chuckles as he walks towards me, a long sanguine cape blowing in the cool breeze as he walks._

_"The Districts, is the capitol really as bad as you make out, Assassin?" He asks innocently as he strides past me, his cape brushing the snow past him as he walks. He should have been the Victor in reality, the Capitol would have loved him, they loved me, but I wasn't built to please crowds of fans. _

_"You weren't forced to execute people."_

_"No I volunteered, and if I recall, so did you." He counters back running his gauntlet-covered hand down the trunk of the tree. "In the long run, was it worth it?"_

_"Volunteering?" I ask as I walk to Ludo's side. He nods as I too extend my hand towards the tree. I sigh deeply, this has been a question that I have tried not think about, because I feel I won't like the answer not matter what way I decide. "I'm not sure, so much has happened. I try not to think about it."_

_"About the morals?"_

_"Since when did you care about morals?" I snap back. Ludo laughs for a moment, turning his whole body to face me as his cloak wraps itself around him like some form of noble king. Was I really the good guy in that arena?_

_"Everyone had their principles, in the arena we had to leave them behind to stay alive. I was no monster, Assassin, you were the monster."_

_"You executed an innocent!"_

_"As did you, everyone who went into that arena was innocent. The one comes out, will never be innocent again." He counters with a cheeky smile. I sigh and let my gaze drop to my feet, this new found wisdom that Ludo has possessed is defeating me at every turn. "You may not believe it, but we all had dreams before we went into that arena."_

_"You speak as if I wasn't there." I reply looking back at the tree. Ludo chuckles again for a moment, it's strange how I can always connect to the dead better in my dreams than when they were alive._

_"You wasn't, the Assassin was, but he died on top of that mountain the same as I did." I look back at him with a small frown. "As for the Phoenix, he was born on that mountain."_

_"Poetic; but we both know I'm not the hero they want me to be." I reply with a small chuckle, one that Ludo laughs along with._

_"Neither of us were, as much as the Capitol loved me, I think we both know I would have become bored and joined the peacekeepers."_

_"Enemies no matter what we do it seems."_

_"Some people just aren't meant to be allies." He replies as we both turn to the tree, both us taking in it's beauty, not knowing what to say next. For some reason this dream feels like I'm saying goodbye, to what I don't know, but I can't shake the feeling of solitude that builds as I progress further into my mind. I let out a long drawn sigh._

_"Is this it then, Ludo? Are you finally going to stop plaguing my dreams?" I ask in a light-hearted tone. Ludo shrugs for a moment, as he looks back down at his shining armour._

_"I suppose that's up to you, I'm here on your calling." He says again, placing his helmet on his head and turning so that his cloak flows behind him like a graceful red waterfall. He extends his hand to me and I shake it respectfully, I am a Lionheart after all. "Either way, Assassin, this is the end of an era."_

_"Everything comes to an end eventually." I reply, as he slowly fades away and I'm left standing in front of the tree alone. I sigh again as the snow begins to fall from the sky. All this symbolism, even as Snow falls the tree stands there, my District's symbol. I smile to myself as I turn away from the tree and begin walking back the way I came into the fog. I stop and take one last look back at the tree, I give a respectful nod, then allow myself to be engulfed by the fog that is the future._

* * *

I feel a pair of hands shaking my shoulders and my name being whispered. When I open my eyes I am surprised by the sight of Kate shaking me aggressively.

"Wake up, Seth!" She whispers, I give a quick thumbs up to show I'm awake and she sighs in relief. She then hoists me up and points down the woods, at the sight of peacekeepers scanning the woods. Then I hear a sound behind me, I turn and see Mrs. Snow beckoning me over.

"Change of plan, District 13 is on it's way."


End file.
